EC and his Angel
by Squeezemymango
Summary: Bella's family is killed by Aro Voltori in London and she is the only survivor. She meets James and has his baby but escapes his abusive ways. Edward Cullen was her protector but he couldn't let her go, so he makes it his mission in life to protect her. Edward is the leader of the most feared Organised crime family in the state of Washington, America. ExB. WARNING: Abuse swearing
1. Chapter 1

**_EDITED 29/06/16. I have combined chapter one and two because I think it flows better. I have also added more to both chapters and made some minor changes, such as Bella's child's name, but not a lot. You don't have to read this story over again, but I would as I believe it flows better. This is unbeta'd. Also, this will be sorter because I have combined chapters together, I have no idea how long they will be._**

 ** _I have no rights to the Twilight Saga, that belongs to SM._**

 **Chapter 1-**

Bella slowly peels open her eyes and looks in the mirror. Staring, hardly blinking, she removes her clothes a piece at a time before tracing each and every surface of her body from her head to her toes. Disgusted, she turns away and steps into the running shower behind her. How did she get into this mess? 2 years ago, she was happy. Living in a cottage in the countryside of England with her mother, father and little brother. They were the typical nuclear family and were the envy of all the neighbours. Now, she's living in a crumbling old house with a broken shower that either burns your body or freezes it with an abusive boyfriend that one of these days, will kill her.

She looks down and sees the scars of the night that took her parents away from her and thrust her into the arms of James, the imperfections on her imperfect body. 25% of her body will be forever marked and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Then there's her weight. She was never a small girl, always a bit on the chubby side, but after that night, food became her best friend and a way to escape. That and books. Then she moved to America with him and it got worse, especially after the baby. He never wanted her but she will do anything to protect her. She loves her and will die for her. Kill for her! But not herself. She knows she needs to get away to protect her baby. Tonight, after James falls asleep, she will run away.

"Get out of that shower now you fat bitch! I know you have a lot to clean but it's my water, I pay for it. And shut that brat up or I will!"

She shuts the water off right away and grabs her towel off of the towel rack and runs out the bathroom to Charlie's room. It has bland white walls with thin, thread bare carpeting and a leaking radiator on one wall. The windows face out towards the back of the house, looking down on the overgrown garden with rusting play equipment left behind by the previous owners. James is there with a pillow hovering over her and turns his head towards the doorway with a sadistic smirk on his face. He moves the pillow away from her face and walks out the room. As soon as he leaves, she runs across the room to the cot and picks up her perfect 2 month old baby girl and clutches her protectively to her chest.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Come on baby, it's okay. Let's get you changed, clean and back to bed."

Walking over to the old wooden table in the corner of the room which is used as a changing table, Bella places Charlie down where she changes her nappy and places her back in her cot. It is flimsy, made of odd bits of wood Bella found around the house, in the back garden and on her way to and from the supermarket; one of the only places she's allowed out to on her own. Watching her baby sleep, she thinks back to the conversations she used to have with her mother.

 _"You will make such a good mother one day. The day you find out that you're pregnant will be the best day of your life; well, until you hold your precious baby in your arms for the first time. You will look at that baby and all of your priorities will change. Everything you do will be for your child. Every decision, every movement, every thought will be centred around them and you won't even know it. And it's the best feeling in the world."_

Renee was right about two things. The first time she held Charlie in her arms was the day her whole life changed and she started to feel the need to fight back. Every thought, feeling and decision centres around her daughter. But the day she found out she was pregnant was the worst day of her life and she knew it would change forever. It was never an option for her to abort her baby, even though it was dangerous. It was probably the most selfish decision she has ever made, but she wanted to feel unconditional love again.

When James found out, he beat her so hard she was hospitalised. He tried to make her lose it, he pushed her down the stairs, beat her with a baseball bat, kicked her stomach and burned her with an iron. Charlie was strong though and she held on which only proves she was meant to be. Maybe it was Renee looking after her own baby girl from beyond the grave, but one things for sure, she is one strong child.

"Bella! Bella you fat bitch where are you? You better not be stuffing your face! Get your jiggly arse here right now!"

Breaking out of her reverie, Bella takes one more look at her baby girl before turning towards James' room. It's painted a pale blue with wooden flooring and a window facing the street; the glow from the lamppost below shining into the room. He doesn't let her sleep with him in his four poster super king bed with dark blue cotton sheets, she has a mattress in the basement. She used to live in Charlie's room but she gave it up so her daughter would have somewhere warm to sleep and it's not big enough for the two of them.

"About fucking time, did that walk across the hallway exhaust you? Bless."

"Sorry James, I needed to change her nappy and get her to sleep."

"You didn't ask my permission to use another diaper. I buy them and you use them? It's all about respect!"

On the word respect, he ripped the towel from her body and smirked.

"The bruises are getting harder to see due to your flab, but the added flab means I have more room to mark. I won't stop until you're completely black and blue. Then I shall fuck you until I cum and then go to sleep. Oh, and you will need to crawl down to the basement like the pig you are you worthless piece of scum. Understood?"

She stood there and said nothing. He slapped her across the face.

"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" He screamed in her face, spit flying out and landing all over her.

"Y…yes." She whimpered.

James grabs hold of her hair and slams her head into the wall, shocking her so she doesn't register the knee coming for her stomach until it makes contact and she doubles over in pain. He pushes her down to the floor and proceeds to kick her all over her body. He makes multiple strikes against her spine and chest, careful to avoid her head so she stays conscious enough to scream out at the pain. After a while he stops and looks down at the broken body beneath him and laughs.

"Pathetic" James scoffs before spitting on her and standing on Bella's hand, hearing a crunch and another scream coming from her. "Whoops." He laughs.

He reaches down and grabs her by her hair before pulling her up onto the bed and climbing on top of her. He slaps her around the face and leans down to lick the side of her face.

10 minutes later, she is left on the floor broken and lost after being pushed off when he was done. James is snoring and she is desperately trying to hold back her tears. She's learned over the last two years that the more she shows weakness and pain, the longer the torture continues. Sitting up slowly and wincing at the pain, she looks behind her at James' sleeping form, he didn't even stay awake long enough to see her crawl towards the basement, something he usually takes great joy in. She stands up and makes her way downstairs towards the basement and to the box on the floor with her clothes in it before slowly getting dressed and making her way towards Charlie's room. Bella wraps her in a blanket and carefully picks her up so she doesn't wake and quietly makes her way down the stairs and out of the house.

Running down the street, she makes her way down many alleyways and streets so it would be harder for James to find them both. James wakes, pulls o his boxers and walks down to the basement, wanting to see the forming bruises on Bella's skin but finds she isn't there. He runs up to Charlie's room but he finds that empty as well.

"That little bitch! She will regret this decision." He screams into the darkness of the empty house.

Running back into his room, he pulls on Jeans and a t-shirt and runs down the stairs and out of the front door which Bella has left wide open. James gets into his car and starts to roam the streets looking for Bella.

A man walks around the corner of a building and sees a girl limping along by herself clutching something to her chest, head darting around everywhere as if looking for something or someone.

 _She's a heavy girl but attractive_. He thinks.

He walks over to a tree, leaning on it and watches her, wondering what such a young girl is doing out in the streets by herself so late at night. James spots her walking along a seemingly empty street and drives slowly up behind her, oblivious to the audience. She turns and sees him before breaking out in a run, adrenalin coursing through her body making her forget about her injuries.

"Bella you little bitch, get back here. No one needs to see your flab jiggling about." He screams at her as he gets out of his car and follows her.

He catches up to her quickly and kicks her in the back before punching her in the back of the head. The whole time she is clutching her baby to her chest protecting her. She falls to the floor, twisting so she doesn't fall on Charlie. She hits her head on the floor and passes out. Charlie wakes up crying. The man at the tree starts to run towards the trio.

James smirks and picks up Charlie by her arm and holds her out in front of him. James laughs and shakes her a bit while she screams in pain. Edward reaches James just as he starts to shake the baby and is sick with disgust.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Edward shouts at the man.

He turns slowly and answers, "Destroying what should have never been in the first place."

Edward pulls out a gun and points it at James.

"Put the baby back into the girls arms gently and step away or I will shoot you."

James laughs. Edward just looks at him with a calm look on his face and cocks the gun.

"A…a…alright then, there's no need to shoot."

James stutters as he places Charlie down back in Bella's arms.

"Now walk away." Edward tells him, a threat in his voice.

James turns and runs down the road to his car and Edward looks at the number plate, committing it to memory. He will deal with him later. Edward picks up his phone.

"I'm done, and I have a guest. She needs medical help."

A car comes flying around the corner and two girls jump out. They walk over to Bella and the baby. The short pixie sized girl picks up Charlie and the tall, blonde girl and Edward pick up Bella and they put her in the back of the car. The short pixie sized girl gets in the back with Bella, holding Charlie while Edward and Rose get in the front of the car and speeds off to their house.

Bella opens her eyes and looks around the room. Not recognising it, she worries that James has found her and had locked her away somewhere while he's torturing her baby girl. Sitting up suddenly ready to run for the door, she sees a woman with mid length brunette hair that sits in a very traditional style and vintage looking clothing while still flowing through to the 21st century.

 _It reminds me of the silent movie era of the 1920's._ Bella thinks.

Seeing that the girl is awake, the woman turns around. She has a soft face but pronounced features, including kind eyes and a gentle smile.

"Hello dear, my name is Esme."

"Where's my baby." Bella shouts at her.

"She's in the other room with my two daughters, asleep. She's perfectly fine, I promise."

"I want to see her, I need to see my baby." Bella continues to shout, not believing the woman in front of her.

"Okay dear." Esme says kindly, not taking offense, before popping her head around the door frame and calling through to the other room.

"Alice, Rose, can you bring in the baby please."

Five seconds later, a couple of girls walk into the room, a tall blonde girl holding Charlie. Bella puts her arms out to hold Charlie and the blonde girl hands her to her. Bella holds her to her chest, showering her baby girl with kisses, she thinks about what could have happened. She remembers James beating her, running away with Charlie, James finding her and beating her even more before it all goes black. She then looks down at Charlie and sees that she's in new clothes and is cleaner, like she's been washed. James would only let her bath Charlie once every two weeks. Bella tears up and passes Charlie back to the blonde who had passed her to Bella.

"Can you put her back to bed, please? Thank you for looking after my little girl. I love you Ness."

The tall girl and the short girl walk out of the room without saying a word and Esme closes the door.

"Those are my two daughters, Rose, the blonde, and Alice, the brunette. They're smitten with your baby girl. What's her name?" Esme asks her softly.

"Charlotte. Well, Charlie" Bella answers with a smile.

"She's named after my dad, his name was Charles Phillip Swan but everyone called him Charlie."

"That's lovely dear."

Esme says with a smile.

"Do you-" Esme starts, about to ask Bella a question, but it gets cut off by a little boy shouting,

"Mom, Jasper's bullying me again."

Esme looks at Bella with an apologetic expression on her face.

"Sorry dear, I have to go and brake up a fight between my family otherwise all hell will break loose."

Bella smiles weakly. "That's okay."

Esme smiles at Bella again before turning around and walking out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her. Bella looks around the room and finds a piece of paper and a pen. She knows that Charlie is better off in the care of this family. They are all so caring and even though Bella doesn't know how she got here, she knows they will care for her baby girl better than she can. She takes another look around the room. It's painted a deep red with gold skirting boards and deep brown doors and door frames. The curtains are brown with gold swirls and the floor is made of light brown wood. The room is furnished with expensive items so she knows they have money.

 _What can I give her other than love?_ She thinks.

Bella lowers her head, looking at the paper and writes.

 _I'm sorry. I don't know your last name and I don't even know where I am, but I know I can trust you. It's just a feeling that I have. You seem like a lovely woman Esme, so kind and caring. Your whole family does, well the family I've seen, and I'm sure they're a credit to you. You must think I'm so stupid and weak. You've changed me so you must have seen the bruises and the scars. I was involved in a tragedy back in England two years ago and then was involved in an abusive relationship right after. I thought that he was kind so when he took me away from England to America, I didn't bat an eyelid. I had no family, they all perished in the fire and he was the only one I had. I thought he loved me, but then he started beating me and made me believe it was my fault. It was my fault. I'm so fat it's repulsive. Then when I found out I was pregnant with Charlie, I cried. Not happy tears like my mum told me they would be, but heart wrenching sobs that wracked your whole body and made you breathless because I knew what he would do to her._

 _I did the most selfish thing I have ever done. I kept her._

 _I know I shouldn't have, but I did because I just wanted someone to love me unconditionally again. Just like my family had before. Then he found out. James beat me so hard to try to make me lose her, but she hung on. She's a fighter and I love her more than life itself._

 _That's why I can't keep her now. Not while the threat of James is still there. I can offer her nothing. I have no place to stay. No money. No family. No clothes. No food or water. I have nothing. Nothing but **LOVE.** You have money, food, water, shelter, clothes, family and love. _

_I am leaving my baby girl in your care. Her full name is Charlotte Marie Swan. Her birth isn't registered yet, so you can name her whatever you want. James doesn't know her name so he won't find her. I will leave and won't come back, she's yours now. Tell her I love her and will think of her always. Or not, you might not want her to know she's not biologically yours. I don't know. But know this._

 ** _I LOVE THAT GIRL WITH EVERYTHING I AM AND WILL THINK OF HER ALWAYS._**

 _Look after my baby._

 _Isabella Marie Swan._

Bella gets up and puts the note on the cupboard that Esme was standing at when Bella woke up, and looks around the room for a way to escape without using the front door. She knows that it's too risky to use the door because she doesn't know her way around the house and she may run into someone who wants to stop her. She sees a window and quietly makes her way over to it. She opens it and looks down, first floor. She hoists her leg over the ledge and moves so she's sat on it, then she jumps down and lands in a crouch, wincing at the pain it causes her entire body. Standing up straight, she walks across the immaculately pruned garden to the overly elaborate driveway and onto the street. She walks down the pathway and off into the night.

Esme calms down the argument between her daughter, grandson and future son- in- law. Turns out, Jasper wouldn't let him have another cookie, but he _had_ just eaten 3. Then he called for Rose who was about to shout at Jacob _and_ Jasper because she told them both before dinner no cookies. Esme diffuses the situation and walks back to the room she just left. When she enters, she notices that it's empty, the window is open and the curtains are blowing from to breeze coming in through the window and that there is a note on the cupboard. She walks over to the window and closes it before making her way to the note and begins to read before dropping it and running out of the room. She tells Alice to stay with Charlie and Jacob, and all of the others to help look for Isabella.

They all get in their cars and comb the streets looking for Bella. Esme and Edward both see her at the same time from opposite directions. They drive up and get to her at the same time. Bella drops to the floor and curls up into a ball, cradling her head when she sees the cars thinking that James is back to hurt her.

"Isabella. Isabella dear, it's me. Esme."

Bella looks up. "E…Esme?"

Esme walks closer to Bella with a blanket in her hands.

"Yes. Esme. Dear, can I wrap you in this blanket, please? Just to keep you warm."

Bella nods her head, just now realising how cold she is and starts shivering violently. Esme walks up to her and wraps the blanket around Bella's shoulders while Edward calls the others and tells them that they've found her. Esme wraps her arms around Bella and starts to gently rock her.

"Isabella dear, why do you think you have nothing to offer your baby girl. All a child needs is love and everything else will work itself out. You do have a place to stay. You can stay with us."

"Bella. My name is Bella." Bella sobs out.

Esme smiles at her.

"Bella, I like it."

 _ **I hope you liked it. Please review, it helps me work faster. ~ Megan xxx**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_EDITED 29/05/2016._**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, TWILIGHT AND THE CHARACTERS BELONG TO SM._**

 **Chapter 2-**

Back at the Cullen household, Bella is sat in the living room with Esme and Charlie. Esme offers Bella a drink and they are both sat in front of the fire watching Charlie sleep. Esme turns to look at Bella.

"Bella, my family are strange. There's Edward, my eldest. He's 35 this coming Saturday and is very focused on his job in the family business. Then there's Rosalie, who's 28 and has a 7 year old, Jacob. Alice, my youngest is 24 and is in a relationship with Edward's best friend, Jasper, who is 34 as well. Then there's me and my husband Carlisle, who's a doctor. He works at his own private practice, but helps people for free when they need it. I help him with those cases as a nurse, that's my on and off occupation. Mostly though I'm just a housewife, mother and grandmother.

Alice has just graduated from college where she majored in Art History and minored in Computer Science. She helps Jasper run the technical side of the business. He majored in Computer Science and minored in Business. Rose majored in Business along with Edward and they both minored in Mathematics."

Bella listens the entire time and when Esme finishes, turns towards her.

"Wow, smart family."

Bella comments in awe. Esme smiles at her.

"Thank you."

Bella smiles back and sighs.

"I will tell you my story now."

"It's okay dear, you don't have to. I didn't tell you mine for you to tell me yours."

"I know. I want to."

Bella smiles at Esme and she smiles back.

"We were happy. Dad worked for the FBI and was investigating someone and their involvement in the UK, I never knew who until that night. He met my mother while he was in London and they quickly fell in love. Their love was one written about in books, seeming unattainable but so effortless for them. A love everyone strives for. They were married 6 months after they met and moved into a lovely house in the country side. Dad was still working with the FBI, but he was stationed in the UK and only had to come to America twice a year to report back what he'd found out.

I came along 9 months after their wedding and my brother 3 years after me. They loved us so much and we never wanted for anything. My grandparents on my mum's side died 5 years ago and she was an only child. My grandparents had fertility issues and were told they would never be able to have children. It was because of the war, that's all I know. My grandparents on my dad's side died when he was 6 in a car crash and he was raised in the foster care system. Again, he was an only child. His mum was 7 months pregnant when she died. My dad was at his friends at the time. Both of my parents wanted a big family, but my brother was so big, my mother ended up having to have a hysterectomy, but we were loved all the same. We were such a close family and when my dad left for America it was hard on all of us, even though it was never more than 2 weeks at a time. We missed him so much.

He must have been on the verge of discovering something big about this person, because he was suddenly out much more with his team. He was working with the CIA to take this person down. It was all top secret so I didn't know who it was, but his boss in the FBI came to stay with us and 2 days later, the house burned down. I was fast asleep and I woke up to my mother's screams. The house wasn't on fire then… At least I don't think so. I remember my mum screaming "Don't do it. At least let me get my children out of the house." I could hear muffled shouts coming from the same room and then a man's voice that I didn't recognise answer her. I couldn't make out what he was saying though."

Bella takes a deep breath, preparing her for what she's about to say.

"I got out of bed and was walking down the hallway towards the dining room where the noise was coming from but the door was closed. It was then that I noticed the smoke coming from under the door. The door handle went down so I hid in the alcove next to the utility cupboard and two men walked out. It was too dark to see their faces. They just walked out and left my house on fire. When they walked out of the house, pulling the front door closed behind them, I walked to the doorway of the dining room.

I saw my mum, dad and my dad's boss, who was in England and staying with us at the time, tied to chairs and the room almost entirely engulfed in flames. My dad and his boss had my mum's scarves around their mouths, explaining the muffled shouts I'd heard earlier. I ran towards my dad and pulled off his scarf and he looked me in the eye. He told me that he loved me and Emmett and will always watch over me. He was passing out due to the smoke and I kept coughing, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Then, as he was fading from consciousness, he kept saying Aro over and over again, I assume this is the person they were investigating. My dad's boss was already passed out when I got there and had a big gash on his forehead. My eyes hit my mum's and a tear fell from her eye. She told me to go and get Emmett and keep him safe. I was about to walk to her when a beam of wood that helped stabilise the ceiling fell on top of them all, and I knew they wouldn't have survived it.

I ran into the hallway and to Emmett's room across the hall from mine but he wasn't there. I thought he'd gotten out so I ran to his window, threw it open and jumped down. I didn't register the closed window. I was quickly pulled away from the house by my neighbour's son who told me help was on the way. I told them I wanted them to take me to Emmett, but they told me that I was the first one out of the house since they noticed the fire. I was about to go running back to the house when the roof collapsed. I broke down and fell to the floor. I only remember bits of what happened next, but I know that they told me my entire family had died. Emmett was hiding in his wardrobe and had passed out, that's what the police told me. My neighbour told me that I could stay with them until everything was sorted out, but it was too close so his son offered. His son was James. I moved in with him for a while and then he got a job in America; I went with him and that's when the abuse started.

He isolated me from everything I'd known and made sure I had no one to run to and know where to hide. I was always chubby. It was a sign of love for my mother, who was half Italian. After the fire, I piled on the pounds as food became my escape. It made me feel closer to my mum in a way. I thought James loved me but then he started hitting me. It was my fault, I know, because I'm so fat I repulse everyone. When I found out I was pregnant with Charlie, I was scared. Scared because I knew what would happen, and it did. He beat me to make me lose her, but she's a fighter.

The night I ran away, he beat me and forced himself on me. I knew not to scream too much because he would make it all last longer, so I just give in. I had made the decision earlier on in the evening that as soon as he fell asleep, I would grab her and run. He found us and I don't know what happened after I fell because everything went black.

When I woke up and saw an unfamiliar room and then you, I thought James had found me and put me somewhere while he hurt my baby girl. Then when you told me that she was fine and I saw her clean and in new clothes, I knew you could offer her more than I could. I get her Babygro's from the bins. I love her with everything I am, but I can't offer her anything. I'm sorry about what I did, but I thought it was the right thing and I want to thank you for helping us both. I will do anything I can to repay you."

Bella looks up at Esme to see tears streaming down her face. She moves closer to Bella and envelopes her in a hug that's so maternal it both warms and breaks Bella's heart.

"Dear, you've been through so much. You aren't repulsive, if you want to lose weight then great, but if not, fine. You would be healthier if you lost a few pounds, but it's your body and no one can tell you what to do. That pig beating you wasn't your fault. He's the lowest of the low. You are a lovely girl and it isn't your fault. You don't need to apologise or thank me, I understand why you did what you did and no one could doubt your love for your daughter. The first thing you said to me when you saw me was demand to see your baby girl and the maternal feelings you emitted towards her was as clear as day for anyone to see. You could have just left James by yourself but you didn't. You could have stayed with him but you didn't. You risked everything for her. We will always help you. Don't thank us and you don't need to do anything but be here and heal, both physically _and_ mentally. You can stay for as long as you want."

Bella cries harder.

"Thank you, Esme."

"Now dear, what did I just say?"

Esme replies in a mock reprimand. They both smile at each other. After a while, Esme looks down at Bella.

"How old are you dear?"

Startled by the sudden noise in the room, Bella jumps.

"Eighteen."

Esme just clutches Bella to her tighter, going through that at such a young age. From the corner of her eye, Esme see's Edward and Rose standing in the doorway, partially hidden by the wall with tears in both of their eyes. Edward reaches over and wraps an arm around his younger sister, supporting her, and they both walk off in the direction of the staircase.

 _ **Again, please review. ~Megan xxx**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**EDITED 30/05/16. I have combined a few chapters together so it's longer and I think it flows better.**_

 ** _DISCLAIMER:_ _Everything Twilight belongs to SM, plot belongs to me._**

 **Chapter 3-**

Bella is in one of the Cullen's guest rooms asleep with Charlie in a cot next to her. The room is a soft grey across three walls and the wallpaper is a light cream with a Paris decal on one wall behind the bed. The bed she's on is black and ornate with swirls along the headboard coupled with a memory foam mattress. Charlie's cot is a deep brown and made of pine with a beige blanket hanging over the side and a mobile with clouds and rainbows spinning slowly hanging above it.

Charlie begins fussing and Bella gets up before she starts screaming and disturbs the entire house. She doesn't know what time it is so she walks to the window and pulls back the grey floor length curtains. Seeing that it's light across the garden outside, she breathes a sigh of relief as she doesn't think she can sleep anymore and has no idea what she would do otherwise. Hearing a shout that sounds male and vaguely like her name, she walks out of the room with Charlie in her arms. She rounds the corner and is met with the blonde haired girl from yesterday holding clothes in her arms.

"Oh, hi." Bella says.

"Hi, mom sent me up with clothes for you. We didn't know if you were awake or not. I'm Rosalie by the way, but you can call me Rose." Rose replies smiling.

Bella smiles at her, thankful she won't have to go downstairs in her pyjamas.

"There's also clean clothes for Charlie there too and there are some diapers in your room."

Rose and Bella begin walking back towards her room Bella and Rose puts the clothes on the bed. Rose looks up at Bella.

"Um, if you'd like, I could clean and change Charlie while you get changed? You could get changed here, or you can go in the bathroom if you'd like. It's just through here." Rose says walking towards a door in the room and opening it to show a fully stocked bathroom, complete with a sink, toilet, bath, and separate shower cubical.

"Thanks, um, yeah." Bella says with an awkward smile, before picking up her clothes and making her way to the bathroom.

"There are clean towels on the back of the door if you'd like a shower." Rose says suddenly.

Bella smiles. "Thanks." She says before closing the door.

Rose hears the shower turn on while she changes Charlie and calls through to Bella. "Bella, I'm going to take Charlie downstairs while you finish getting ready. Take as long as you need, we love babies in this house."

Bella looks up for under the spray of the shower and calls back. "Okay, I won't be too much longer."

She then hears the door to her bedroom close and gets back to her shower. She looks down again and sees the scars of her relationship with James on top of the scars from the night that took her family from her. She starts to cry, what if he find her and takes her away from her baby girl. She laughs at the irony of that thought because less than 24 hours earlier, she was leaving her daughter in the care of strangers with the intent to never return. Finishing in the shower, she steps out and wraps the towel around her body. She looks around the room, painted a sea blue with a nautical theme, almost like something you'd see in a seaside home. Bella smiles at how cute it looks and then opens the door leading back to her bedroom.

She gets dried quickly and walks back into the bathroom to brush her teeth and sort out her hair, looking at the mirror, she rubs the condensation from it and notices how much happier she seems already, lighter. She spots a medicine cabinet and opens it to find a hairbrush, hair ties and copious amounts of hair products for every hair type and need. She also spots a cupboard which holds a hairdryer. Going back to her room, she finds a socket and sits by the vanity to dry her hair. When she's finished, she put her hair up in a simple ponytail, moisturises her face and neck and exits her room.

She makes her way downstairs and towards the room where she can hear voices coming from. She stops in the door way and watches as a large group are scattered all around the living room watching her baby girl. Charlie spots her mother and smiles prompting the others to look towards her. Alice beckons her over towards her and pats the space next to her. Alice is sat cuddled up towards a man with short curly blond hair and a kind smile. She walks over and tentatively sits down. Charlie begins to cry and Bella recognises it instantly as her hungry cry. She stands up immediately and reaches for her baby girl who is laying under a mobile on the floor and picks her up. She turns around.

"Um, is there somewhere I can go to feed her?" Bella askes.

Esme jumps up. "This way dear."

Esme walks towards another doorway and leads her into the kitchen. "When you're done, just come back through and I will start to make breakfast for us all." She smiles at Bella and walks back onto the living room.

Carlisle looks at his wife as she sits back down next to him and cuddles into his side. "She's looking better." He comments.

Esme looks at him, then around the room. "She's been through a lot and just needs love, and we're going to give it."

Everyone nods their heads.

"Don't take my baby!"

Is heard from the kitchen. Edward draws his gun and runs in there first, Rose and Alice close behind him with Jasper and Carlisle running out of the house to go through the back door. Esme grabs Jacob and runs to their 'panic room'. Seeing James, not only out of the basement Edward and Rose had locked him in last night, but having pushed Bella to the floor and grabbed Charlie, again, Edward shoots him in the arm. Jasper has just walked in the back door and saw the look Edward gave him before he pulled the trigger, and grabs Charlie before she hits the floor. Rose and Edward walk over to James and Rose steps on his gunshot wound. Alice runs out of the room, grabs a blanket and gives it to Bella to cover herself up, as she had been in the middle of breastfeeding, and helps her up and out of the room.

Alice wraps her arms around Bella and holds on as Jasper walks into the room cradling a screaming Charlie in his arms.

"I think she wants her mommy and is angry she was interrupted in the middle of her meal." He says trying to diffuse the tension in the room.

Bella looks up and holds her arms out for Jasper to put Charlie in. "It's okay baby girl. Mummy's here."

Jasper shoots Alice a look that tells her to stay with Bella while he goes to help the others. She nods once.

"One second Bella, I need to go tell mom and Jake they can come out." Alice tells Bella.

"O…okay."

Alice walks away and Bella gets Charlie in the correct position to feed again, this time under the blanket. A little boy around the age of 7 or 8 comes running into the room.

"Hi, I'm Jacob." He says holding out his hand for her to shake.

Bella gets a secure hold of Charlie in one arm while she happily sucks away and shakes Jacob's hand.

"Hi, I'm Isabella." She leans in as if she's going to tell him a secret. "But you can call me Bella." She whispers the last sentence and smiles at him.

"Well, in that case, you can call me Jake." He beams at her before tuning and sitting on the chair he had just vacated.

Feeling Charlie unlatch, Bella makes herself decent and puts her back under the mobile.

"Nana, where's mom?" Jake asks Esme.

"In the kitchen." She tells him. "Do you want her?"

He nods his head vigorously. Esme smiles at him and walks into the kitchen. A few seconds later Rose walks around the corner.

"What's up baby boy?" She asks him, so much love filling her voice.

"Can I watch TV please?" He asks her.

"Just this once, and not for too long. You have work to do. When I'm done in there, Uncle Eddie and I will help you with your project."

He runs up to her and wraps his arms around her.

"Thank you mom!"

He pulls away and runs to the TV, switching it on to his favourite Cartoon and he's engrossed in about 5 seconds flat. Shaking her head at her son's antics, she turns around and walks back into the kitchen. Bella looks up.

"Esme?" Bella asks.

Esme looks over at her. "Yes dear?"

"Um, what are they doing in there? I saw one of them shoot James. Why is he here? How has he found me? Us?" Bella asks one question after the other and starts to hyperventilate.

Esme runs over to her and calms her down. "They are taking him back to the basement. They got him last night." She sighs. "Bella, I need to tell you what the family business is. We're an organised crime family. The most powerful, so also the most feared organised crime family in Washington State. Edward was out on a job when he saw you and Charlie walking down the road and then James follow you down the road. He ran towards you when he first saw James hit you, he got to you both when you had hit the ground. Apparently, James picked up Charlie and Edward pulled a gun out and threatened James. He got him to put Charlie back in your arms, get in his car and drive away. He did, and we got you and Charlie back here and are helping you get better. Last night, Edward and Rose sent three men to James' home to get him. My two children heard the tail-end of your story yesterday and they conflicted pain on James accordingly.

Rose and Edward run the violence side of the family business. They control everything. Alice and Jasper are in charge of the technological side of it all, they make sure there is no electronic trace of the activities of the family and wipe any information they need to from where ever they need to. Carlisle, my husband, is in charge of any trade and transactions- drugs, arms; things like that. He is also a doctor. I am occasionally a nurse, as you know, but I oversee the shutdown of sex rings and forced prostitution of other families, that is something we don't tolerate. I help the girls recover and get them safely back to where they were taken from and oversee their lifelong protection. We protect girls and anyone forced into anything they don't want to do. Everyone that works for us are here because they want to be, no one is forced.

Just me telling you this means that we all consider you as family, we love your little girl and we love you as well. Bella, we aren't afraid to do what it takes to protect you. Something happened years ago to a member of this family and it lead to one of the best things we have, but it was horrible and we all acted accordingly. I won't say any more than that, it's not my story to tell."

Bella looks at Esme. "Thank you for telling me that. I know you won't hurt me and you won't hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it. I won't tell anyone, but don't hurt James, it was my fault."

 _"No it wasn't!"_ Esme says quickly with conviction. "It was him and his sick mind. Don't take the blame for this. He is a horrible, horrible man and my children will cause him pain like he's caused you and two others."

Bella looks at Esme in shock. "What?"

"Yes, two others. Emily and Leah. They were both killed, and Leah had a little boy, from another relationship. He was forced to watch his mother beaten and raped for years. She was killed 4 years ago and he was left in a church. He now lives with his grandparents in Germany. He deserves this Bella, believe me."

"I want to see him." Bela says suddenly. Esme looks at her in shock.

 _"I want to see him."_ Bella says again with more force behind her words.

"Okay dear. Alice, can you take Bella down to James please."

Bella forgot Alice was still in the room. Alice walks over to the doorway and Bella follows her down the hallway and towards the steps leading her towards the basement.

Bella walks down the staircase leading towards the basement with Alice close behind her. She reaches the bottom, and comes to a large corridor with five doors spaced along the walls. Alice links arms with Bella in a show of solidarity and leads the way to the furthest door on the right. Alice knocks once, sings "Housekeeping" and laughs at the joke as she opens the door, revealing Edward, Rose and one other man that she had never seen before standing around an object looking intimidating with their arms crossed. All three turn towards Bella and Alice as they walk through the door, and Bella spots Jasper in front of Edward, Rose and the stranger. He appears to be holding something down. Bella looks down and spots a beaten James, he looks right at her and smirks. Edward looks back down at James as Rose starts walking over to the two girls standing in the doorway.

Edward sees the way James is smirking towards Bella and kicks him hard in the shin and punching him once around the face.

"Don't you fucking look at her your worthless piece of shit!" Edward screams at him.

This startles Bella because she's never seen him like that before, which isn't surprising because she only properly met him this morning, this must be his business face. James leans forward, fighting against Jasper's hold on him and spits blood in Edward's face. Rose recaptures Bella's attention.

"Alice, why have you brought Bella down here?"

Before she can reply, Bella says in a surprisingly calm and unaffected tone, "Because I want to speak to him."

She points in the direction of James. Rose and Edward share a look while James looks satisfied at her attention of him.

Bella is beckoned over by Edward who whispers in her ear when she's close enough, "If it gets too much, reach over and squeeze my hand and I will get you out. I will trust you to know when it gets too much and I will let you say what you want to him, but if I believe he's overstepping the boundaries, I will take action."

Bella nods at him in understanding and takes her place in front of James and next to Edward. Rose and Alice stand on her other side and the stranger helps Jasper keep James in his seat.

"What I want to know, is why? Why you took me away from everything I've ever known and away from every familiar thing to me, and took me here where you beat and raped me. I want to know why you tried to kill my baby before she was even in the born and failed to love her after she was. She may share half of your DNA, but she will always be mine. Never yours. You were just a sperm donor. If you so much as utter her name, not that you even know her name, I will get Edward to give you the beating of your life.

Why did you do it to other women? One of them had a child who is now motherless and had to watch you beat and kill his mother slowly. You tried to do it to me. You did kill me, my spirit, my confidence and my fight. But then I had my baby girl, and she gave me the extra strength, the extra fight to get away. Away from you. I am now in a place where I feel accepted, despite my size, despite my emotional problems, even in one day. I know here I will be able to get better and move on. I know I will get married someday to a man who loves me."

Bella steps forward, and before anyone can stop her, she slaps James across the face. Edward pulls her back so James's head can't hit her. It narrowly misses. He looks up at her and laughs.

"You really think you will be able to move on. Throughout every decision in your life, you will think of me, you will doubt yourself and others, because of me. You think you're free, but what you don't realise, is that I'm in your head. I've won."

He's cut off by Edward bringing his foot down on the leg Rose broke the night before.

After James has finished screaming out in pain, Edward says, "Watch it."

James looks back at Bella. "You think they accept you? No one does. It's pity. Pity for your fat size and the fact your family burnt to death. Their flesh melted from their bodies as they screamed in agony at the heat ripping flesh from bone. Pulling their bodies to pieces and boiling their blood. They died an agonising death, and you did nothing to save them. You're just a worthless pile of flab."

Bella reaches over and grabs Edward's hand, squeezing tighter than anyone would have thought possible. Edward immediately wraps his arms around her and begins pulling her towards the door leading to the corridor. Once in there, Bella just falls to the floor clutching hold of Edward the entire time. Edward pulls her towards him and holds her as tightly to him as he can. She sobs on his shoulder and he stays quiet, offering his support in the hug.

Once she starts muttering things like, "I am worthless, nobody loves me, why would they, I'm just a fat bitch who let her parents die",

Edward interrupts. "Bella. You are not _any_ of those things. That man is just a hateful waste of space, not you. We are lucky to have you. Even though we've only just met you, we love you so much. You and Charlie. Don't ever feel like we don't, because you will always have one of us that will be there to prove you wrong."

Bella looks up and meets Edward's intense stare. He brings his hand up and brushes away the piece of hair that had fallen out of the pony tail she had put it up in, and lets his hand linger on her cheek. They're so close, they are almost sharing the same breath.

"You are a beautiful woman, inside and out. Any man would be lucky to have you. The man you marry will love you and appreciate you like you deserve to be treated, and they will have to be pretty damn special to get through us Cullen's; we protect our own."

Edward is speaking so softly, that goose bumps form on Bella's arms and his breath is fanning across her face, letting her take in the sweet aroma that is Edward. They stay locked in each-others gaze, until a door opens up. Bella and Edward pull apart, and after she gets over how dazed she is, Bella focuses enough to see another man she's never seen walk out of a room she's never been in before. He nods at Edward who nods back at him. The new guy then walks over to the room Edward and Bella exited an unknown amount of time before.

Edward quickly stands and hold out his hand to help pull Bella up. She takes it and they begin to walk up the stairs together. As they reach the top, they can hear shouts coming from the living room. Edward and Bella look at each-other and shrug before making their way into the room. What they see is a sight they never expected to see. Carlisle and Jacob in an intense game of Wii tennis. Bella spots Charlie and walks over to sit by her, and to get as much distance from Edward as possible after their moment a minute ago. Edward's about to walk to sit with Bella, craving her company, when Esme sits beside her, forcing Edward to the couch on the other side of Charlie. As the woman talk, Edward watches the game going on in front of him. He listens to the conversation between Bella and his mother.

"Did you get to say everything that you needed to say, dear?" Esme asks Bella.

"Yes, and I slapped him. He said some things though. I don't want to repeat them, but they were…" Bella trails off, Esme sensing the end to the conversation pats Bella on the knee in a comforting way and makes her way into the kitchen.

A few seconds later, Esme is telling Edward to tell the others breakfast was done. At hearing the word breakfast, Jacob pauses the game, he's up by 15 points, and shout sings, "Breakfast, breakfast, food from the gods",

Before running into the kitchen; a laughing Carlisle following close behind. Bella stays sat down, looking at her baby girl, not noticing the other coming up from the basement and Rose shouting at her son for running in the kitchen, until a velvet voice at her shoulder startles her.

"You coming, Angel?" Edward asks with a smirk on his face but concern in his eyes. He holds out his hand for the second time in as many minutes, and Bella takes it, just like last time.

"Yep. But what should I do with Charlotte, I don't want to leave her in here by herself."

Edward smiles at her motherly concern. "Easy, bring her with us."

He walks over to the mat Charlie's playing on and picks her up gently before cradling her to his chest. Edward takes Bella's hand again, almost as if he doesn't realise it, and they walk towards the kitchen together.

"There you are! We were beginning to think you'd got lost!" Jasper jokes.

Edward pulls Bella towards the two empty chairs at the table and gestures for Bella to make her plate once they sit down. Bella notices there isn't anywhere for Charlie to lay, so she goes to take her off of Edward so he could eat. He pulls away.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"There isn't anywhere for Charlotte to lay, so I was taking her so you could eat." Bella says strongly.

He just looks down at her, then smiles. "That's what I'm doing for you. You eat, I'll hold and then we can switch so I have some company for my meal. Deal?"

Bella smiles back. "Deal."

A helpful Esme passes Bella a plate of food.

"Thank you." Bella says before she begins eating.

She feels awkward eating in front of them all, like she shouldn't eat in fear of being judged, but everyone acts normally, jovial conversation filling the room. She looks over at Edward who gestures for her to continue. She gingerly takes another bite of sausage and smiles at Edward who is smiling back at her and rocking her baby girl to sleep in his arms. Bella pours herself a glass of juice and carries on eating her bacon, eggs, sausages and baked beans. Edward is gently rocking Charlie who falls asleep in his arms and talking to Bella and everything and anything.

"What's your favourite colour?" Edward asks.

"It changes day to day, but I would have to say green. Emerald green." Bella answers looking down and blushing.

"Now that's my favourite colour" Edward says under his breath.

Bella looks up, "Sorry, I didn't catch that." She says.

Edward smiles at her as if she's the most adorable thing he's seen. "I asked, why the blush?"

Bella looks down at her plate again and pushes her cut up sausage around the plate watching the way the egg yolk spills out when it gets jostled. "No reason"

"Hey." Edward says kindly, gently lifting Bella's chin up so she's looking him in the eyes. "Eat up, I'm starving." He says in a jokey manner that she doesn't pick up.

"Sorry, I'm not really hungry, I'll just take Charlie from you and go and sit in the other room. Sorry" Bella rushes out in one breath while standing up and reaching for Charlie at the same time. The chair leg catches on the floor and falls backwards, Bella's foot catches on the table and her plate and herself ends up on the floor. Tears immediately fall from her eyes and she gets up reaching for Charlie. Edward, who has stood up to help her up, bends down at the same time as Bella stands up and they butt heads.

Bella looks up at him in shock and fear. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Don't hurt my baby please. I'm sorry, Hurt me. It's my fault. I'm so sorry. Give her to me, please." Bella cries. Edward hands a still sleeping Charlotte over to Bella who then runs up the stairs leaving a confused and worried Edward watching after her.

 ** _Please review, it makes me so happy to log onto my email and see the notification I have a new review. Maybe we can get it to 5, if it's 6, I will post chapter 4 tomorrow, around midday(GMT). Thank you for the support. ~Megan xxx_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**EDITED 30/05/16.**_

 **Chapter 4-**

Edward sits on the floor with his head in his hands. It was going so well and then, well, he has no idea.

Meanwhile Bella has put Charlie down in her cot and has gotten changed in a blur. She slides down the wall with her hands over her face and starts to rock. "Fuck! I'm so messed up. I miss you mum, I'm sorry I didn't help you. I am so so sorry." Bella has no idea how long she was sat there before she hears a knock on the door.

"Bella, I'm sorry for what happened. Can I come in please?" Edward calls through the door, still confused about what happened.

Bella looks up. "Yes." She answers in a voice so soft Edward would have missed it if he hadn't been listening so hard.

He opens the door and walks in. Seeing Bella sat on the floor broke his heart. Setting the tray on the sideboard, he takes 3 long strides across the room and sits down next to Bella.

"Hey, do you want to tell me what's going through that head of yours?" He asks.

Bella looks up at him with her big chocolate brown eyes and sniffs. "I'm sorry. You must think I'm pathetic." She scoffs. "I _am_ pathetic" Fresh tears fall down her face.

Edward leans over towards her and wraps an arm around her just like earlier. "Stop apologising, it's not your fault and you're _not_ pathetic, you're a remarkably strong young woman who has been through a lot. You are one of the strongest people I've ever met." Edward replies, wiping the tears off of Bella's pillowy cheeks. "Now, since you haven't eaten much and I am starving, what do you say we finish breakfast off up here?" Edward asks her.

She looks up at him and then towards the tray Edward had placed down earlier. Smiling, she says, "Yeah, but not on the floor. My bum is going numb."

Edward laughs, quietly repeats "bum" in an English accent thinking how cute she is and elegantly glides to his feet. He, yet again, holds out his hand for Bella to take. She is pulled to her feet, wincing due to her injuries, and they both walk over towards the bed, sit down and eat together with Charlie asleep across the room. Bella is amazed at how comfortable Edward makes her but still, deep down, she's a broken little girl.

Edward gently closes the door to Bella's room. They had sat talking to each other for over an hour before Bella's head fell against Edward's shoulder and her soft breaths fanned over his neck. He sat there, cuddled up to Bella, just watching her sleep for a few minutes before he got up. He knows he feels attracted to Bella, drawn to her but he's not good for her, he will make her feel better about herself, he'll make it his life's mission to make Bella realise what a gorgeous and sweet girl she is. He won't destroy her innocence but he will eliminate the problem, he's going to sort James out once and for all.

As he reaches the door, Bella's soft voice floats across the room, so clear and coherent that he thinks she's woken up.

"Edward" She sighs.

He turns towards her, "Yes Bella?" Before noticing that she's still asleep.

"Don't kill him, I don't want another life on my hands." She whimpers.

"I won't, don't worry." He replies, not meaning it, he's going to make it the worst death possible after what he did to Bella, her family and all those other women before her.

Walking down the stairs, he sees Jacob at the kitchen table doing his homework. "Hey Kangaroo." Edward says to him affectionately while ruffling his hair.

Jacob looks up at his uncle, adoration shining in his eyes. "Hey, Uncle Edward."

"What are you doing?" Edward asks him while sitting down in the chair next to him and leaning over him to take a look at the paper Jacob's brow is furrowed over.

"Fractions, but I can't work it out." He says, sadness seeping into his tone at not being as good as his uncle.

"Hey little man, it's okay, fractions are hard. Let me take a look." Edward consoles his nephew, hating the hurt tone in his voice. He has been through so much, not having a father and being teased about it at school. Edward would die for that boy. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind for the minute, he looks down at the sheet of fractions in front of him. He furrows _his_ brow to make Jacob believe that these fractions were stumping him as well, even though Jacob knows what he's doing; his Uncle has a degree in mathematics. "Hmm, well... Let me think… Um… Wait… No… Oh! I see." He leans down to Jake and points at the first question which read _'Find ½ of 10'_. "Count to 10 for me, but use your fingers."

Jake looks down at his hands and counts up to 10, just as his uncle has told him to and then looks up at him when he's done. "Now what?"

"How many fingers do you have on each hand?"

Jake looks down and then up at Edward again before replying "5."

"Now, look at this, if you take 5 fingers away," he reaches over and pushes one hand of Jakes fingers down, "You're still left with 5, aren't you?" He looks down at his nephew's thinking face. He watches as his eyes light up with realisation before he looks unsure with himself. Edward looks at him and says with encouragement, "Go on, you know it."

"5?" He says unsure of himself.

"Is it? I don't know. Are you sure? You know I don't take questions, it either is or it isn't." Edward says.

Jacob looks unsure but then says, "No, it _is_ 5." With confidence.

Edward looks at him expressionless for a moment and Jacob's face crumbles with sadness at getting the wrong answer before he saw Edward's face break out in a giant smile. "Well done! That's right!"

Jacob looks up at his uncle before playfully hitting him on the shoulder. "You made me think I got it wrong!" Jacob shouts laughing.

Edward looks at him and then shouts "TICKLE MONSTER!" And then watches as Jacob goes running off into the living room screaming. Edward laughs and follows after him making a roaring sound before catching his nephew around his waist, picking him up and laying him on the sofa. He then proceeds to tickle Jake until he has tears streaming down his face in laughter and Carlisle enters the room laughing at his son and grandson. He walks over to Jake and saves him from the clutches of the tickle monster. Edward stands up and walks over to where his dad is cradling Jacob in his arms before grabbing him back and carrying on where he left off.

Esme walks into the house in search of Edward and Carlisle. She walks around the corner and sees her son tickling her grandson and her husband pretending to try and save him while her son was staving off the attack. Shaking her head with a smile on her face, she clears her throat. Three heads turn and see Esme standing in front of Marcus and Alec. Edward recovers quickly and begins, yet again, the tickle attack and Carlisle resumes his previous role, yet this time, Alec helps. They manage to get a laughing Jake free and he grabs hold of Alec in a tight hug.

"I missed you too, little man." Alec says to him.

"What? No love for your great Grandfather?" Marcus inquires faking sadness. Jake runs across the room to him and wraps his arms around Marcus. He leans in and appears to whisper something in Marcus's ear. "I love you too, Jakey boy."

Rose chooses this moment to come up from the basement and sees the little congregation in the living room. "Jake, I thought you were doing homework?" She asks him in her 'mother voice'.

The whole room looks at her and Jake replies in a rush, "I was but then I couldn't do it so Uncle Edward helped me but then I was unsure when giving my answer and so the tickle monster came out, then grandad saved me, but Uncle Edward got me back. Grandad tried to save me again, but this time he couldn't. Then Uncle Alec and Grandpa Marcus came in with Nanny and Uncle Alec helped and finally got me free and then I said hello to them and then you walked in."

Rose looks at her son in amusement, "Okay baby, well go and finish your homework and then you can watch some TV." She says kindly.

"Okay mommy." He replies running off in the direction of the kitchen.

Edward looks around the room and says, "One minute." Before following Jake into the kitchen. He's at the kitchen table again, with the same look on his face as he had the first time Edward found him. He sits down next to Jacob again and puts his arm around his shoulders. "You've got this. I believe in you, _you_ just have to believe in you."

Jacob looks up at his uncle and nods his head. As Edward is standing up, he hears a noise coming from outside the back door. With one last look at Jake to make sure he's okay, he walks out of the backdoor and looks around as it closes gently behind him. He sees Bella sitting on the bench underneath the window with Charlie in a pram and a book in her lap. She isn't reading it though, she has her face turned up to the sun, and with it shining on her face, Edward can't help but think how much she looks like and angel. He begins to walk towards her and at hearing his footsteps she quickly turns her head, but calms when she realises that it's Edward.

"Hey." She says in her soft British accent, not posh, but not common.

"Hey." Edward replies while sitting down next to her. "What are you reading?"

He frowns as she moves her body away from him but he doesn't say anything. "Pride and Prejudice. The only thing I took with me from Britain, the only thing to survive the fire. I don't know how." She says the last part softly.

 _"'I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! - When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.'_ It's never really appealed to me."

Bella looks at him in shock.

"What? I know a quote or two." Edward chuckled at her surprised face.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to having conversations about books. My parents never liked Pride and Prejudice and Em had never read it. With James, well, there was no hope there was there?" Bella laughed in irony. "I feel really stupid now, he's won, he got under my skin and he knows it."

"Hey, he has not won, Isabella, you've only just got away, you are safe now and we will help you put him and keep him in the past. I will tell you as often as I need to until it sinks in. You are safe and **_you_** have won." Edward tells her softly but with conviction.

Bella again laughs with irony. "I was just sat her basking in my freedom. This is the first time, really, where I finally feel free. First it was my parents, then it was _him_. Different ways admittedly, but still."

Edward looks down at her, with her hair blowing in the breeze and puts his arm around her. She looks up at him and leans back, relaxing against him. She feels safe for the first time since her parents died. Sure of her future, that everything is going to be alright.

 _ **I know I'm a bitch for stopping it here, but if I reach 8 reviews in the next 7 days, I will post the next chapter. ~Megan xxx**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**EDITED 30/05/16**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT, THAT BELONGS TO SM. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT AND ANY CHARACTERS YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF.**_

 **Chapter 5-**

Edward is walking down the corridor, towards the room that holds James. He slams through the door, making James jump but look up with a smirk on his face.

"Well, well, well, what did that fat bitch do this time? I'm surprised she waited this long to piss someone off. Now, if you would just let me go, I can get her out of your hair. Her and that brat of a daughter."

Edward looks at him and laughs. Just laughs. Laughs so hard that he nearly falls over. After a few minutes he composes himself, his face happy but his eyes murderous. Rose walks through the door with Marcus and Alec following behind. Rose walks up and stands next to Edward, arms crossed over her chest and her feet hip width apart. Marcus stands next to, but slightly behind Edward with Alec copying the same movement on Rose's side. James leans forward looking Edward dead in the eyes.

"Really? A woman?" James scoffs breaking out in laughter. "You think I'm scared of a fucking woman?" He starts laughing again.

Edward looks at Rose and starts laughing again. Rose looks at him out of the corner of her eye, confusion clear on her face.

"You think Rosalie isn't good enough because she's a woman?" Edward breaks out in laughter again before coming to an abrupt end and grabbing him round his collar and hoisting him out of his chair. Edward slams him against the wall, knocking all the breath from James's lungs. Before he can catch his breath, Edward brings his fist down hard into James's stomach and then his knee up into his groin. Letting him go, James falls to the floor and Edward starts to kick him all over. After he gets in 10 good kicks, Rose puts her hand on his arm halting his movements. Alec steps forward and picks James up, throwing him back into the chair.

James blows out his breath and touches his nose. "You broke it." He pushes out, still winded, and probably the owner 4 or 5 broken ribs.

"Still cocky?" Rose says. "He hasn't even started yet."

Edward grabs James by his hair and drags him backwards, knocking over the char. He then strips him and ties his hands to the shelf on the wall so he can't get away. Edward takes a knife and drags it over James's stomach, breaking the skin but not too deep. James hisses. "Stings doesn't it?" Edward chuckles. He proceeds to make 7 more shallow cuts in various places on James's body, such as his forearms, thighs and back. "Shallow, not life threatening but all painful. Just like what you did to Isabella. Every comment and harsh look, every beating was like a shallow cut and with enough of them, they can completely destroy a person." Edward gets right in James's face, "But thankfully, we saved her before you could get that far."

Suddenly the door opens to reveal Jasper and Alice carrying 2 buckets each. They walk over to Edward and place them down next to him and Alice walks over and stands with Rose, Marcus and Alec, yet Jasper stays with Edward and leans over towards him. "There's something you should see when you're done here." Jasper whispers to him and Edward nods his head. Jasper walks back to stand next to Alice.

"Do you know what's in these buckets?" Edward asks James. Only silence follows. Edward reaches down and picks up the knife again before delivering another 5 cuts to James body, these slightly deeper than the last but still, not life threatening. "Answer me!" Edward roars in James face as he holds just the knifes tip against his throat making an impression on the skin but not breaking it.

"I- I don't know." James stammers out, finally scared and humiliated, just like Bella was their entire relationship in the United States.

Edward, keeping the knife where it is leans forward ad whispers in James's face, "Lemon Juice." He leans back with a dark smile on his face, his eyes cold and calculating. He looks behind him, "Alice, can you bring me the pool, please?" He asks. Alice, silently, walks over to the door and picks up a small inflatable paddling pool made for a child and places it on the floor beside James. "Thank you." Edward says to her and with a nod in reply to her brother, she resumes her place between her sister and boyfriend.

"Get in." Edward says to James. James stays where he is. _"I said get. Fucking. In!"_ Edward shouts again while slashing James once more. James again stays still. Edward, while still watching James, asks "Would someone please hand me the spikes?" Jasper this time walks across the room, opens a cabinet that is built into the wall and hands Edward a stack of small, pin sized spikes. About 1cm high and 1cm wide with a gap of about 2cm in between. Edward kicks the pool to the side and kneels down. He places the pile down picking one off of the top and pulls the contraption in his hand outwards on both sides and makes a platform about 1 metre long both sides. He then reaches behind him and picks up another, again pulls it to its full size and attaches it to the first square. He repeats this action another 23 times so he's left with a 5 metre X 5 metre square.

"Some assistance please?" Edward asks and Alec walks forward, picking James up so Edward can slide the contraption underneath him and then Alec lets him drop. His feet are sliced open by the spikes and when he reflexively moves from the pain and his feet move to another location, he just rips them open more. Edward stands back and watches as James flops about and screams at the pain, his broken leg lagging behind almost as if it was a separate part of his body. "You know, I'm glad he didn't get straight in the pool, this is much more fun." Edward muses. Alec laughs. "Are you ready to get in the pool now? We have much better things that we could be doing and the last thing we want to do it pick your fat ass up and put you in the pool." Edward says.

"Yet you don't seem to mind Bella's flab." James retorts.

"You just never learn do you?" Edward says as Rose hands him back his knife. He drags is slowly through the flash on James's thigh, watching as his skin separates and bone is exposed, the blood pooling out all over the floor. James screams and jerks back only to scream louder as the spikes slice his feet open more.

"He's made a mess now." Alice says for the first time since entering the room and Marcus lets out a chuckle as Alec and Jasper outright snort.

Rose smirks at her and puts her arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry Ali, we won't be cleaning it up."

Edward turns around and looks at his sisters with a wide smile on his face before turning back to James. "Now I will ask one more time and I sincerely think that you should act wisely. Get in the pool." Edward says threateningly as he pulls the pool closer to James.

James pulls one foot off of the spikes and places it in the pool with a scream, both at the pain of the spikes and the fact all of his weight was momentarily resting on his broken leg.

"Pussy." Jasper mutters.

"Now, now Jas, don't make my genitalia an insult. I personally think women are very tough." Rose says.

"I'm sorry, I agree." Jasper replies.

Edward laughs before getting back to business. "Now the other one." Edward says slowly as if speaking to a child. James drags his broken leg off of the spikes, blood dripping from the wounds and screams again as he places it down in the pool. Edward smiles at him. "Great."

Jasper and Alec walk over to the buckets and place one in a pully system that is hanging overhead. They then raise it so it's hanging over James and they start to pour, slowly to inflict the most pain. James screams and writhes around and the boys carry on pouring. After the first two buckets are empty and there is a nice pool of James feet meaning that they are always buried, Edward picks up his knife again and walks towards James. As the third bucket begins to pour, Edward starts to cut again, deep ones like the wound on James's leg. He makes 4 and then steps back as the last bucket begins to fall. James screams so much that he begins to lose his voice. As the last lot of lemon juice first touches his wounds, he moves so hard that his arm pops out of its joint increasing his screams.

Edward laughs at the pathetic man in front of him and stands back to let Rose go for it. She walks forward and starts to beat him up. She doesn't stop, even as his bones audibly snap and his screams fill the room and stops after about 10 minutes. Standing back, she lets Edward take the reins again.

"Bella told me I'm not allowed to kill you, so I'm not going to." Edward says to him.

James, always cocky smiles up at him. "What a loyal bitch." He chokes out.

Edward's foot comes down on James's head, effectively shutting him up. He kneels down in front of James's broken body and says in a sinister tone, "She said that I wasn't allowed to kill you, not that she didn't want you dead. Already she is feeling free and it's been a day. One day without you. She didn't say that someone else wasn't allowed to kill you." Edward smirks as James's face suddenly lifts. Finally he understands his fate.

"All of this was just payback for what you did to that lovely girl up there. You tried to break her but you didn't succeed. You tried to cut her down and failed. You beat her to break her spirit, but guess what, you didn't. We, however, did cut you down and we did break you. You raped her and stripped her of her dignity so we stripped you of yours. We won. _She_ won. Goodbye James." Edward says before walking backwards and letting Marcus, who had stood watching the events silently until now, step forward.

He hands James a bucket of soapy water and a sponge, "Get on your hands and knees like the dog you are and clean up. Now. You made the mess, we don't want the inconvenience."

James hesitates, looking down at the pool of blood on the floor, the blood on the spikes, the bucket and then Marcus.

" **NOW!** " Marcus roars at James, "I want to be able to see my face in that floor, get on your knees and scrub. You're my bitch now." He says slowly and sinisterly.

James steps out of the pool, arms still attached to the wall and looks at Marcus. Marcus gets the knife Edward was previously holding and slashed the rope holding James down slashing his arm and chest in the process.

"Whoops." Is all Mucus says with a smirk on his face.

James gets on his knees, wincing at the pain from the cuts, the broken bones and the dislocated shoulder. He kneels down naked and scrubs. He scrubs for about 10 minutes until he moves onto the spikes. The keep nicking his skin, slashing him open more and more. The more cuts he sustains the more blood is on the floor and the longer he has to scrub.

"Take it apart and put it back." Marcus tells James.

James grabs hold of the chair but Marcus kicks it out from under him

"The hard way." He tells him.

They all laugh at the sight of James struggling to stand but eventually he manages it and they see him walk over to the closet and take apart the torture device before placing it in a pile in the left corner of the third shelf down.

"Now get back over here." Marcus says.

James limps, almost hops, back over to where he started, his broken leg trailing behind him looking swollen and purple. Rose puts her foot out and trips him before stepping on his broken leg and Edward kicks his dislocated shoulder. They all laugh at the screams.

" **GET UP!** " Marcus screams again.

James struggles like the first time, feeling faint from the blood loss and pain but manages to stand and drag his body over to where Mucus stands.

"Get back in the pool, I want this to be an easy clean up because you sure as hell won't be around to do it." Marcus laughs.

James steps back into the pool wincing once more as the lemon juice enters his cuts.

Marcus picks up a pair of gardening scissors, picks up James's penis and places the blades around it. "You raped her and countless other women. In my opinion, men like that, no, if you rape you have no right to be called a man. _Scum_ like that do not deserve a dick." He spits at James's prone body and on the word 'dick' brings the blade together slicing of James's penis in one go.

James's screams fill the room before they are silenced forever with one slice of a blade at his neck. James's body flops to the floor, the blood pooling from the wound at his neck, the life slowly draining from his eyes. His hands come up and clutch at his neck in shock and horror, the bloody seeps through his fingers like water and adds to the ever growing pile on the floor beneath him, mixing with the lemon juice that is pouring from the pool as James's body weighs one side down. Marcus steps back into the line of people as they watched the blood pool out of James's neck and onto the floor.

Finally Bella's nightmare is over. Or so they thought.

 ** _I hope you like it, please review, they make my day. I love you all. ~Megan xxx_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hi, I wrote this chapter in May but then I had exams and forgot that I hadn't posted it. I'm now a month into my holiday and ready to write more, I have chapter 7 on the way. Enjoy this one._**

 **Chapter 6-**

Bella is in the living room curled up on the sofa with a blanket draped over her legs and a book in her lap, fast asleep. Esme is sat opposite her on the other sofa across the room cooing at baby Charlotte curled up in her arms. Jake and Carlisle are laying on the floor watching cartoons on the television when Edward, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Alec and Marcus walk up the stairs from the basement. Edward ignores the people in the living room and storms off up the stairs to his bedroom, and without thinking slams his door, with his family looking on after him. The slam of his bedroom door jolts Bella awake suddenly, and she jumps up off of the sofa, her book falling to the floor with a thump and the blanket landing softly around it, the calm in the chaos. Bella's eyes dart around the room like a wild animal, not taking in her surroundings just looking for her baby. Seeing her in Esme's arms, she runs across the room, grabbing her baby and running out of the room into the kitchen.

Alice and Rose walk in after her and find Bella cowering in the corner rocking her baby girl and crying. She's mumbling something but crying too hard for anyone to understand.

"Bella, love, it's just us." Alice says softly.

Bella looks up at them hesitantly. "C-Cullen's?" She stutters quietly.

"Yes, the Cullen's." Alice says walking closer to her and eventually sitting down next to her, careful not to touch her.

"Cullen's." Bella says and then her face floods red. "Sorry, I just freaked out a little."

Rose walks over and sits at Bella's other side and puts her arm around her. "You don't need to feel embarrassed, we get it. After Royce… well, I was a mess. Every noise made me petrified but the silence terrified me as well. I never knew what was going to happen next. Then Edward took him out and I saw the pictures but it didn't help much. After a few months, things started to get better, not back to where I was before, I can never be that person again, but better than they had been.

"Then, I found out I was pregnant with Jake and I lost it all over again. I would have nightmares that were so vivid it was like it was happening all over again and I would wake up in different places every time, trying to run from the dream. There was only one thing that got me through that pregnancy and that was Edward.

"He would sleep with me to help with the nightmares, they were rare when I was with him. If I did have one, he would wake me up and hold me until I calmed down and got back to sleep. He would come with me to every appointment, hell, he was even the one to help me decide if I should carry on with it. He made sure I ate right and stayed strong. He always has been and always will be my fiercest protector.

"What you just did, that's normal. I would be worried if you didn't react like that. I still do and it's been eight years. It's the reason I'm such a hard ass, no one is allowed to do that to me again. Edward and Jacob have a great bond, that boy has never lacked love from his family, ever. Edward was there at his birth, he was the first one to hold him and they've been inseparable ever since."

"Bella!" Edward says as he runs into the kitchen looking frantic having just been told by Jasper what happened with Bella. Three pairs of eyes look his way.

"I guess that's our cue to leave." Alice says pulling Rose to her feet and walking arm in arm out of the room.

"Do you want to take a walk outside, or sit on the bench?" Edward asks her hesitantly.

"Okay." Bella says looking down.

"Which one?" He asks her, gently taking Charlie from her, cradling her in one arm and helping Bella to her feet with the other.

"Sit on the bench, I feel sore." Bella says, wincing as she stands.

"Okay Angel." Edward says and they both walk out the door, Charlie still in Edward's arms and Bella's hand still securely in the other, and they sit on the bench they sat at earlier.

"James is dead." Edward says quickly, looking at Bella to see her reaction.

She turns to look at Edward quickly her hair whipping his face. "What! I don't want any more blood on my hands!" Bella cries looking like she's going to cry.

"You don't. It wasn't you that killed your parents or brother and it isn't you who killed James. Hell, it wasn't even me who killed James."

Bella again looks shocked at this new information.

"You told me you didn't want me to kill him when you feel asleep after Breakfast earlier, so I didn't. Marcus did." Edward tells her softly.

Bella looks confused and embarrassed, her face flushing red.

"Sorry, I can't control my sleep talking. I don't generally like people being near me when I sleep, I never have. And who is Marcus? Is he the blonde boy? No, he was cuddled up to Alice and Esme said her boyfriend is blonde." Bella rambles cutely but clearly confused.

"Marcus is my grandfather, he's the head of the family business, him and his boyfriend Caius, Caius is finishing up an arms deal in Chicago and will be here tomorrow. Marcus was forced into a marriage with my grandmother, Didyme, by his father but after she died twenty years ago, he came out as gay and fell in love with Caius. He did love my grandmother, just not in the way a man should love his wife, it was more sibling love between the two. She had a man she loved dearly, one of her bodyguards and, as long as they were discreet, Marcus was fine with it. Why shouldn't she have someone to love, she deserved to be happy and that's the way he saw it. As I said, my grandparents loved each other.

Marcus my grandmother have three children, Carlisle, my father, Alec, my Uncle, and his twin sister Jane. They were had because of an obligation to carry on the family line but they were, and are, loved dearly. They don't care about the gay thing, none of us do, if he's happy, we're happy and he wasn't selfish to my grandmother throughout her life and they know it. The two made the best out of a bad situation. Jane unfortunately can't come right now as she has some business to deal with in Brazil, but Alec and Marcus have come to Seattle to celebrate the news of Alice's pregnancy."

Bella looks at Edward enraptured with his story the entire time and then breaks out in a big smile at the end. "Alice is pregnant?" Bella asked delighted but shocked.

Edward laughs, "Yes, my baby sister is twelve weeks pregnant with twins and is having them with my lifelong best friend. It's slightly odd, but I know there is no better man for her, he loves her, she loves him and I know he will never hurt her. I also know that he knows that if he does, I'm going to kill him, friend or not. He wouldn't though, he worships the ground she walks on, always has. Right from when we found out mom was pregnant with her, Jasper insisted on being near her. When she was born, he would always sit with her and she wouldn't sleep until she had heard his voice. This continued up until she was sixteen and he got his head out from up his ass and asked her out on a date; after he asked dad and I for our permission of course. We gave it, even though there's a ten year age gap, we knew he would never hurt her. They didn't have sex until her eighteenth birthday, I only know this because she would complain about how he wouldn't have sex with her for two years and begged me to get him to reconsider. That was a horrible two years. Unfortunately for me, I heard moaning coming from her bedroom the night of her eighteenth birthday and, thinking she was hurt, rushed in there and saw- that. Ugh, this is bringing up all kinds of bad memories." Edward shivers at the end.

He looks at Bella and saw she was holding back laughter, she even had tears in her eyes and then it became too hard to hold in and she lost it. She was in hysterics and clutches her sides, her chest hurts she's laughing so hard, her ribs still sore but, as she had been assured by Esme, not broken just bruised.

"You walked in on your baby sister having sex with your best friend. Damn Edward, you sure know how to light a girl's spirits." Bella chuckles out.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Imagine if you'd walked in on Emmett doing that." He says to her, a slight smile on his lips.

Bella's face falls and Edward, thinking he's upset her at the casual reference to her dead brother, rushes to correct his mistake.

"Bella, I'm so sorry to bring him up, that was insensitive of me. I am sorry, can you forgive me?" He begs her.

"I'm not upset Edward", she tells him looking into his eyes, her face softening at his sad and apologetic expression, "I was just remembering the time I walked in on Em masturbating, that was not a good night. I screamed and dropped spaghetti all over the cream carpet of the hallway and ran all the way back to the living room with my hands over my eyes."

Now it's Edward's turn to laugh until he cries. "Oh my god Bella, that is amazing. How old was he?" He asks her, amusement still in his voice.

"He was 14 and I was 17, it happened 2 weeks before the fire." Bella says, sadness clouding her voice.

Edward wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him until her head rests on his chest and she's listening to his steady heartbeat as he leans down and kisses her head. "I'm sorry Angel." He says into her hair.

"It's okay, I've come to terms with it now, doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt but I'm okay." She says cuddling into his embrace, enjoying the safety and the warm feeling it's giving her.

Charlie chooses that moment scream, no warning, no fussing, just from fast asleep to all out ear shattering screams. Bella knows this means she needs a nappy change and to be fed. The smell hits them at the same time.

"Oh" Charlie you stink, I think it's time for a diaper change you don't you gorgeous." Edward says to the baby. He looks down at Bella and holds out his hand for her, she takes it and they walk back into the house together.

Walking through the living room, Charlie's cries still going strong, Bella drops Edward's hand and takes her baby girl out of Edward's arms. Esme jumps up and runs over to help.

"It's okay mom, I've got her." Edward says to his mother who stops in the middle of the room and nods her head with a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Edward picks up Bella's hand again and they walk, side by side up to Bella and Charlotte's room.

"Right Angel, let's sort this princess out shall we." Edward says to Bella with a smile before leaning down to kiss her head and then they both turn to the changing table at the side of the room.

Bella lays her down on the mat and undoes and pulls off her daughters clothing, already feeling it sticking to her back, knowing this is going to be a messy one.

She turns to Edward, "Are you sure you want to stay, this is vile. It's all up her back, she's going to need a bath."

Edward laughs, "Angel, I used to change Jake, I'm not sure anything could top him. I'll go start the bath."

Bella laughs, "Okay. Stay at your own risk."

Edward smiles at her before walking off into the adjacent bathroom. Bella looks down at her little girl, "Okay, let's do this."

She carefully peels Charlie's clothing from her body and gags, "Damn girl, what have you been eating?"

Charlie just looks up at her mother and smiles, "You're either proud or have no idea what I'm going on about." Bella says to her. "I'm going to go with a bit of both." She says with a chuckle of her own.

Bella disposes of the dirty Babygro in a bag to be washed later and goes to remove Charlie's nappy. She pulls at the tabs, lifting her baby girl at the ankles, carefully pulls her up so she can slide the nappy out from under her. Laying Charlie back down, Bella quickly puts it in a nappy bag and throws in in the nappy bin the Cullen's have next to the changing table, probably left over from Jake. Grabbing the wipes, Bella begins to softly clean her baby girl as best she can.

"No, don't wiggle. Now it's in your hair! Ugh." Bella carefully picks up her wriggling baby girl, careful not to get too much of it on her but not succeeding and carries her into the bathroom.

Edward is stood there, shirt off so it doesn't get wet, testing the temperature of the water with his elbow. Seeing Bella walk in with Charlie, he smiles. "It's just ready." He tells her.

Bella looks down and sees that there is a small yellow baby bath inside of the bath so that Charlie doesn't drown and the sight brings tears to her eyes.

Edward jumps up, wraps his arms around Bella and her baby and softly wipes the tears from Bella's face. "What's wrong Angel?"

"You have a baby bath." She sniffles out. "I could never afford one and James would have never bought one so I never asked."

Edward just pulls her tighter against him. "We love you and Charlie, they get the best. Anyway, this is left over from when Jacob was a baby, it was stashed in the cupboard under the sink." Edward tells her softly with a kiss to her forehead.

"Anyway, it's still a lovely thing you're doing for us. I cannot thank you and your family enough." Bella tells him.

"You don't need to, you are family now."

Bella, now realising that Edward is shirtless and she is in his arms blushes red from her face and down past the neck line of her top.

 _'_ _I wonder how far down that blush goes.'_ Edward thinks before counteracting it with _'No! I'm no good for her and it's too soon.'_

Bella carefully extracts herself from his embrace during his inner ramblings, but not before Charlie urinates down Bella's arm. "Ugh Charlie!" Bella exclaims.

Edward takes the baby from Bella's arms and places her carefully in the water. "How about you go and take a shower and get changed, my room is just next door, no one else is going to use it. I will be downstairs with Charlie when you're done. You have a little poop in your hair as well." Edward says the last line with a smirk on his face.

"Ugh. Okay thank you Edward. Are you sure you don't mind?" She asks him. He shakes his head and Bella turns and walks out of the bathroom to grab a clean change of clothes and a towel before exiting the room. As she's collecting her clothes, she hears Edward talking softly to her little girl.

"Now princess, this is how it's going to go. I'm going to wash your body first to get all this nasty pee and poop off of you, then I'm going to get you out, dry you off and wrap you in a towel so you don't get cold as I empty the water of the nasty stud, re fill it and wash your pretty brown hair. Does that sound okay?" He asks her. "I'm going to take that passing of wind as a yes." He says on a chuckle.

Bella then walks out of the room and into the door right next to hers. He must mean this one, the only other door is down the hall. She walks in and sees a room painted a light blue with it getting darker as it gets closer to the floor. He has light hardwood flooring and his bed is the same as Bella's except it has a black bedspread on it; his curtains are also black. She lays her clothes on his bed and walks over to his window, looking down at the garden before her, his window facing in the same direction as hers. She walks across the room to a door that is in the same place as her bathroom but it's a wardrobe. She closes that door and walks to the only other door in the room; that one leads to a bathroom!

She walks in, hangs her towel on the rack and turns the shower on before stepping under the hot spray. She can hear faint mumblings coming from her bathroom right next door, a wall being the only thing separating them, but after a while they stop and she knows that they've gone downstairs. After washing her hair three times to be sure the poop and the smell is fully out of her hair and has washed her body, she grabs the towels off of the rack. She quickly wraps one around her hair and the dries her body before wrapping it around her and walking out of the bathroom.

Curiosity gets the better of her and she walks towards the closet. She sees his expansive collection of designer suits and all of his fancy shoes. She pulls back the suits to see what's behind the rack and sees that he only has about 10 suits that are hiding the rest of his closet, it's full of jeans and T-shirts and jumpers. Clothes you would wear around the house or out at the supermarket. Upon closer inspection, Bella sees that they're all designer too. Hearing a clearing throat behind her, she jumps and turns around seeing Edward standing there, still shirtless.

Any reason why you're in my closet, Angel?" He asks her with a smirk on his face.

"No, I was just curious, sorry." She replies quickly running out from the wardrobe and into the room. She stops, now just realising she's in a towel. He realises the same thing.

"Sorry, I knocked but there was no answer so I assumed you were still in the shower and I could quickly grab a top to put on. I'll leave you to it." He says quickly, trying to ignore the bead of water that is falling from the tendril of hair that has escaped her hair towel and is falling down in between her breasts. He turns around.

"Wait, don't worry, I'll go into the other room. It's your room you should be allowed in whenever you want." She rushes out, as she runs for her clothes that are still on his bed.

Edward gasps and Bella stops still.

 ** _Please review, it always makes my day. I will try to get at least 2 chapters up by the time I go back to College which is on the 12th of September. ~Megan xxx_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Here is the new chapter. There was some confusion after the last chapter. I put some of the chapters together to make them longer and to help the story flow better. Chapter 6 would have been chapter 9. Here is chapter 7, I haven't started chapter 8 yet but I will do within the next few days. I have to apologise because I said I would have this chapter up either Saturday or Sunday but on Saturday I went out without sun cream on at midday (stupid I know but I didn't think it would be that bad) and I was out for 2 hours. Came back home and my sunburn started to develop. By 7pm I was really red and hot to touch but was shivering and hiding under 3 duvets and a couple of blankets so my mum took me to the hospital. I was there over night, awake the whole time and was told I have sunstroke. When we got back from the hospital, I slept until this morning. I finished this chapter, read it through once and am now posting it. Enjoy! xx**_

 **Chapter 7-**

"Oh shit! I am so sorry." Bella stutters out and bends over to grab her towel that had fallen down to cover her naked, bruise ridden body. She doesn't even stop to grab her clothes, she just runs out of the room crying.

"Fuck!" Edward screams. He just seems to mess up. Twice in one day this has happened and he's at a loss as to what to do. Edward is about to walk towards Bella's room to help sort this problem out when Jasper knocks on his door.

"Hey man, Alice and I spent last night in the basement looking over Bella's fathers work records and there's something you need to see."

Edward takes a long look at Bella's closed door and can hear her cries behind it. "Can this wait?" He asks looking at his lifelong best friend.

"In theory but this is pretty big. I wanted to let you know before I tell the family. I'll give you 30 minutes because Ali has a doctor's appointment at 2 and we need to leave in an hour."

"Okay, I'll be there. I just need to speak to Bella."

Jasper smirks. "You seem to be getting quite close to Bella."

Edward looks at him and points his finger at his future brother- in –law. "Don't. Don't. I'm not good for her. I keep fucking up. And she's so fragile, I'm going to help her get back on her feet and- and I'm going to walk away." He looks pained.

"Edward, I have known you for 34 years, I know you better than anyone, even yourself, so don't hit me for this but I have never seen you act this way before. When everybody else our age was worrying about girls, including me, you focused on your studies and always have done, and after college it was this. This family. This business. You fiercely love your family but never once has a girl entered into the equation, and not from fear of trying. Jesus, Tanya was a fucking head case after you slept with her but still, you just pushed her away and got on with your job.

"Then Bella comes along and in the space of a day, you have changed completely, and it's lovely. When you came up here earlier hand in hand with Bella, Esme nearly cried with happiness and it's because you dropped everything to be with her. You fucked James up, more than normal, because of Bella and that's _amazing_. Just because there is a 16 year age difference between the two of you doesn't mean that what you have shouldn't happen. Fuck, me and Ali were born 10 years apart and got together when she's 16 and I was 26 but that didn't stop us. Do you think we aren't good for each other? No. You encouraged us, you still do, every day. Stop being an idiot Edward, help her and when she's ready. Get your girl. Now I'm going to make sure Ali is ready for the appointment and meet you in the basement. Good luck man." Jasper says. He pats Edward on the back and walks down the hallway and then down the stairs to find his fiancée.

Edward is left standing there in shock until Bella's sobs register in his brain again and he runs towards her door. He taps his knuckles against Bella's door and her sobs stop.

"I'll be out in a minute. I'm just getting dressed." She says trying to hide the fact she's crying, thinking Edward sent Esme or Rose or someone up to her room to check on her.

"It's me." He calls through the closed door.

"Go away Edward. I don't want to sound ungrateful but I can't see you right now."

"Bella, Angel. Please open the door I need to talk to you."

He hears a shuffle, like someone getting off of the bed and footsteps walking across the room towards the door, then it opens, and the look on Bella's face breaks Edward's heart.

"Oh Angel." Edward says. He holds his arms out and Bella falls into his chest, sobbing as he holds her tight. "Come on baby, let's go to the bed." He pulls Bella over to the bed again and lays down beside her, she's still in her towel from earlier. "What happened Angel?"

"I'm fat and disgusting and you saw me naked. With all my rolls and bruises and-"

"No baby. You're not disgusting, you're beautiful."

Bella scoffs.

"No Angel, you are. I'm going to say something here and I need you to listen. I like you. I like you and I'm going to make sure you get better both physically and mentally. I like you as more than a friend and I act differently around you. I have no idea why, I just know that you're different and I like it. I thought that I wasn't good enough for you, I still do, but Jasper told me to pull my head out of my ass and so that's what I'm doing. He also told me that the 14 year age gap is a bullshit reason not to do what makes you happy, and you make me happy. I'm not going to do anything about it today, or even tomorrow because you aren't ready for it yet and you don't even need to be with me or want to be with me when you _are_ ready, but I'm putting it out there so you know that you are liked and you are gorgeous.

I need to go and talk to Jas and Ali about something right now and I'm really sorry to run out after telling you this but it's really important and she has to leave for an appointment soon. Charlie is downstairs with my mom and you can ask her any questions about me or just to talk. When I get back, you can ask me any questions you want. Oh and just so you know, I'm going to treat you affectionately so I will hug you and kiss your head and hold your hand and cuddle you because I'm going to make sure you know your worth. You are in no way obliged to respond and if you don't like it then tell me and I will stop because you are your own person and only _you_ can tell you what happens in your life. Now I'm sorry, but I have to go." He leans over, kisses her head and runs out of the room leaving a bewildered Bella on the bed trying to process what she's just been told.

Edward closes Bella's door, leans his back against it and lets out a huge sigh. He didn't expect to say that but it just came out when he saw how fragile she looked. He shakes his head to get it into work mode and walks down towards the basement. Opening the door to the computer office, he sees Jasper and Alice sat in front of the main screen flicking through different documents before stopping on one. Edward steps closer and sees a man that is obviously Bella's father next to the document; his FBI file.

"What's so important that I had to race down here?" Edward asks.

"Read his last mission." Jasper replies gravely.

Edward looks down at Jasper and then Alice who wear matching expressions. Sadness and pain. Confused, Edward looks back at the document on the screen and his heart drops.

"Oh… Bella." Edward falls into the nearest chair and puts his head in his hands. He then looks up and makes eye contact with his sister.

"What do you want us to do?" Jasper asks him.

Edward looks from Alice to Jasper. "Let me tell her first, I want her to know from me before we tell the family. I'm going to go and tell her now, arrange a family meeting for when you get back. Only the necessary people. Mom, Bella, and Jacob will be attending this one as well. We will arrange another meeting in the next few days when we know what we're dealing with. Thank you for telling me first and good luck at your appointment." Edward then turns around and runs out of the room.

Edward runs up the stairs to the living room and sees Bella sat there on the sofa watching Jacob play and talk to Charlie. He walks closer and Bella looks up at him before Jacob jumps up and runs right into his uncles arms.

"Hey buddy, can I talk to Bella in the other room for a minute?"

Bella stands up, "Can you watch Charlie for me Jake?"

"Yeah!" He shouts excited.

Bella and Edward laughs at his enthusiasm. "Hey Jake, you might want to keep it down unless you want her to cry."

Jacob looks contrite, "Oh, sorry." He whispers.

Edward places his hand on top of Jacob's head and ruffles his hair, "You don't need to whisper either."

"Okay." Jacob says with a big smile before taking his place back on the floor with the baby.

Edward hold his hand out for Bella, she takes it before they walk into the kitchen together. Bella takes a deep breath, readying herself for Edward to tell her that he regrets what he said to her in the bedroom.

"Take a seat, Angel" Edward says.

"No. If you regret what you told me upstairs, just tell me. Don't try to spare my feelings."

Edward walks over to her and wraps his arms around Bella. "Woah, Angel, I do _not_ regret what I said because it is one hundred percent true. I am going to tell you something Jasper found out about your father's last assignment and it's not going to be easy to hear so you will need to sit down."

Bella walks out of Edward's embrace and sits down at the kitchen table. "What is it?" She asks him, her face and voice completely devoid of emotion and expression.

Edward walks over to the chair next to Bella and he turns towards her with his hands clasped together on the top of the light brown wood.

"Bella… Angel… Jasper and Alice's job is to look into everyone that comes into contact with our family. Now I want you to know that this family trusts you but as a cautionary measure we need to look at everyone and everything."

He stops to gauge Bella's reaction. She just nods her head, giving nothing away, and so Edward continues.

"They looked into you and from that, your family. They found something out about your father, and that was the reason why I had to leave so soon earlier, they needed to tell me something. They hacked into the FBI database last night, retrieved your fathers file and spent all of last night and this morning looking it over. Reading about assignments, and partners, and a full breakdown of his career; anything that may be of importance to us. In that file was his last mission, the mission that took him to England which lead him to meet your mother and eventually have you and your brother. I want you to remember that, the good times, when I tell you what I'm going to say next."

He waits for her to nod or acknowledge his request.

"We, this family, have a long standing relationship with the man he was trying to catch. Calm down, it's not a good one, believe me." He tells her when her face fills with panic.

"He's our biggest rival, always trying to steal what we have, our turf, our goods, everything. He doesn't stop at anything to get what he wants, he will kill anyone. In this business, we are supposed to have a code of conduct, it's odd in this business but there is really only two rules. One is that we don't bring children into the cross fire for no reason, for example, if that child has been taught to hold a gun or will kill us then we will do. It's rare but it does happen. It's never happened to me but my grandfather had a child, the age of 12 who he had to shoot because he was going to kill him. I'm telling you this so you understand more, not to scare you, I want you to know that you and Charlotte are both safe in this house and are considered members of this family.

The second rule is that we don't go after the women, they are untouchable. This is out dated now as it was made when women had no place in this business other than to be wives and mothers. Now, women are just as big a part as men, well in this family they are, this isn't always the case but, as you can see, Rose and Alice stand alongside Jasper and I. Anyway, the man your father was trying to catch doesn't honour these rules, he's tried to kill Jake on many different occasions, and mom. She's not a part of the violence side of the family, preferring to be the wife and mother but she will step in if she has to. She's the reason Jake didn't die when we all took him to the park when he was 3, she saw a man hiding in the bushes with a gun pointed right at him, jumped up without saying anything to anyone and pulled Jake out of the way. She got shot in the process but nothing life threatening.

This man is called Aro Volturi."

Bella faints, falling off of the chair and onto the floor.

"Shit! Bella!" Edward shouts, shaking her body. "Mum!" Edward screams towards the other room.

Esme comes running into the kitchen recognising the worry in her son's voice, only having heard it once before when Rose went into labour. "What's wrong? Oh my!" Having just seen Bella on the floor. "What's happened?" She asks Edward speaking calmly, slipping into nurse mode.

"I told her Aro Volturi killed her father." Edward answers her, not thinking clearly so forgetting that his mother doesn't know what he's talking about.

"What?" She asks kneeling on the floor next to Bella and leaning down to check her breathing.

"That's what the meeting is about later, Jasper and Alice found it out last night. I told her and she fainted."

"Okay, well don't worry, she will wake up soon. She's breathing. Did she hit her head when she fell?"

"Um, yes. I don't know how hard though."

Before Esme can answer, Bella moans. "Bella dear, you fell. Does anything hurt?" She asks.

"Uh, no." She moves slightly and winces.

"Yeah, my head and shoulders hurt. My ribs ache as well."

"Okay, I'm just going to check you out." Esme tells her.

"I'll just step out." Edward says.

"No!" Bella shouts. "Please stay. I don't want to be alone again." She whispers the last sentence.

Edward sits by her side and holds her hand. "Okay Angel, I'll never leave you." He brings her hand up to his face, watching her face for any signs of discomfort at the action, either pain or not wanting the advance, and gives it a gentle kiss.

Esme watches the exchange between her son and Bella with a soft smile on her face. "Okay, I'm just going to check your head for any bumps or marks." She feels around her head and finds a bump on the back where her head must have made the first contact with the floor. Bella whimpers. "You have a slight bump on the back of your head, Edward, can you go and get her some ice to place on it please?"

Edward places Bella's hand on her front and jumps up to the freezer, grabbing an icepack they keep on the top shelf. He runs back to Bella, wrapping it in a towel as he goes before placing behind her head. He picks her hand back up again. While he's doing this, Esme checks Bella's neck and shoulders, noting the bruises from James that she must have hit as she fell, causing the discomfort.

"I'm going to need remove your top to check your ribs, is that okay?"

Bella nods her head. She removes it and sees the big purple bruise from the kicks James gave her. Edward sees this also and growls, he falls quiet at Esme's glare.

"I know I'm horrible. I'm sorry." Bella starts to cry.

"No. You. Are. Not. You're gorgeous and I'm going to tell you every day." He tells her with conviction.

"Bella, I'm going to need to get Carlisle. I want him to check your ribs to make sure no further damage has come to them."

Bella nods her head again, still crying and Edward wipes away her tears. Esme stands up, walks out of the room and comes back with Carlisle following behind.

"Hi Bella, can I listen to your chest, please? I need to see if you caused any damage to healing wounds when you fell." Carlisle tells her, being the confident doctor he is.

"Isn't this a bit much? I mean, I just fainted. I feel fine." Bella says.

"You were pretty badly damaged when you got here, I just want to make sure no further damage has occurred." He places his stethoscope to her chest. "Breathe in for me, please?"

Bella takes a deep breath.

He moves the stethoscope to the other side. "And again."

This happens another 3 times before he moves his gloved hands around her chest, feeling her ribs. "You're okay. No other damage was caused other than making them feel slightly more painful. Take some painkillers if you need to." He smiles at her.

"Okay, thank you." Bella puts her top back on and Edward helps her to her feet. She looks up at him. "Can we take a walk around outside, please?"

"Of course. In an hour Alice will be home with a new ultrasound picture. Her and Jasper have an appointment today." He reaches across to take Bella's hand and then looks up at his parents. "Meet in the living room in 2 hours." They both nod at him.

Edward and Bella then walk into the garden for some downtime before meeting of that will change both of their lives forever.

 ** _This was unbeta'd so I'm sorry for any mistakes that were in this chapter. Please review if you loved it. Please review if you hated it. Thank you for reading. ~Megan xxx_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**I'm spoiling you all, getting this chapter up a day after the last one. I predicted it was going to take me a week but I started writing and just couldn't stop. I figured this is a good place to stop because I didn't want the chapter to get too long and I am saving a lot of action for the next one. I will start that tomorrow probably. I hope you enjoy it.**_

 **Chapter 8-**

Edward and Bella walk into the living room, hand in hand, after their walk to find everyone sat around the room. There is Carlisle and Esme on the smallest sofa at the back of the room, Alice on the bean bag next to the television with Jasper sat on the floor next to her with Jacob on his lap. Rose in between Marcus and Alec on one of the larger sofas with a spot left open for Bella.

"Bella, over here." Rose calls over to her.

Bella hesitates, seeing two strange men, one of which she would have to sit next to. "Um…"

Edward places his hand at the base of Bella's back and leans in to talk into her ear.

"That's Alec, he's my uncle. The other man, with the greying hair is my grandfather, Carlisle's father, Marcus. They turned up earlier today, while you were asleep." He whispers to her before giving her a kiss on the cheek and a squeeze of her hand.

Bella blushes and nods her head before making her way over to the empty space on the sofa. Alec smiles at her as she sits down, sensing her nerves. Esme and Carlisle look at each other as their son gives Bella the kiss and smile, happy to see their son happy. Edward walks to the head of the room and stands looking at his family. The mood changes, everyone falling silent, even Charlie, as they all sense the seriousness of the situation.

"As you all know, Alice and Jasper have been looking at Bella's records and the records of those in Bella's life. Last night they hacked into the FBI database and made a copy of her father's file. In that file were the details of his career progression, every partner that he ever had, and every case that he ever worked on. The case that is important to us however, is his last case, the one that took him to England and the one that he worked on for eighteen years. He was investigating an organised crime family's involvement in the UK." Everyone apart from Alice, Jasper, and Bella are on edge, wondering of it's their family.

"And the man at the head of that family is Aro Volturi."

Edward stops as every member of the family, apart from Alice, Jasper, Bella, and Jacob, jump to their feet and start shouting. Confusion and fear running through them all in their need to protect their family.

"If Bella's family were killed by Aro, he would have done so knowing that her entire family was in the house. He would have wanted to kill Bella also and will know that she is still alive. Edward, she poses a risk to this family." Marcus says.

Edward turns towards him so fast that he's a blur. "Don't say that! She is a member of this family as much as you and I so we will protect her as such. She is untouchable." Edward shouts at him.

Marcus's reply dies in his throat at Edward's last sentence and he gasps before turning towards Bella who is sat on the couch with her head down. "I didn't realise. I am so sorry. Of course we will protect her at all costs. I can't apologise enough Miss Swan."

Bella looks up with red rimmed eyes. "It's okay. You're just trying to protect your family, I understand. If you want me to leave, I will, but please protect my baby girl. I don't mind dying but I will not let any harm come to her. I will be leaving her here if I have to go."

Edward walks over to her and sits in the seat that Alec vacated after the reveal of Aro's involvement in Bella's families death. He puts his arms around Bella and pulls her to his side. She wraps her arms around him as well and hides her face in his chest, feeling safe. "You aren't going anywhere. Of course we will protect Charlotte, but we will protect you as well. Remember what I told you earlier, about the two rules of our life? The second rule, about the women? I have made my interest in you known, that makes you untouchable, even if you don't want me, you are still untouchable and we will protect you. We will talk about your cavalier attitude towards your own death after this meeting but right now you need to understand that you haven't made anything worse and you aren't going anywhere until you want to and even then, not until it's safe."

Bella nods her head, her face still buried in Edward's chest. He leans down and gives her a kiss on the top of her head before squeezing her tight once more and letting her go. She sits up and they both look around the room at the others, all in deep conversation with each other, talking about how they will deal with this latest threat to their family. Jacob is sitting in the corner playing with Charlie, wanting to stay out of the way of the grown-ups as they work. Jasper turns his head towards Edward and Bella with a smirk on his face. "Leave it out." Edward says to him with a smirk of his own on his face. Jasper hold up his hands in surrender with a chuckle.

A beep fills the room and Jasper and Alice pull identical phones from their back pockets. "Who's that?" Bella asks Edward, thinking it's an odd coincidence that they would both get a text at the same time.

"No one. It's an alert from their computers downstairs." He tells her standing up and walking towards his best friend.

"Everyone back to their seat please." He says commanding the room. "Jake, you can stay with Charlie if you want to." He smiles at his nephew.

Everyone moves towards their evicted seats. "I really am sorry, Isabella." Marcus tells her.

"It's okay, and Bella. I like to be called Bella."

He smiles and nods his head at her. "Bella."

They both look up at Edward to see him joined by Alice. Bella notices a small bump and smiles. "Congratulations." Bella says, just now realising that she's never said it to her.

Alice smiles at her. "Thank you."

Edward smiles at the exchange and then his face hardens. "Alice and Jasper discovered some more information from their search of the people in Bella's life. I am so sorry Angel."

Alice steps forward. "Our search moved to James Rothwell." Marcus, Alec, and Edward all growl at the mention of his name.

Surprisingly, Bella laughs. All eyes turn on her. "I guess the growling thing is a family trait." She says with a smirk. Everyone laughs and Esme leans over the side of the sofa to give Bella's shoulder a squeeze and a smile.

Alice continues. "We looked into his bank records and a week before the fire that killed the Swan family and a Mr Kevin Smith of the FBI, James received a deposit of one million pounds which is roughly one million, three hundred thousand, three hundred and seventy five dollars and 9 cents, in US currency. A month before the move to America, he received a further ten thousand pounds, roughly thirteen thousand dollars and sixty one cents. Three months after the move here, all of that money was removed from his account. We discovered this information just before we left for our appointment earlier but we can't figure out why. A month ago however, all of the money that had been removed from James's account was replaced along with a further five thousand dollars. That alert was just informing us that all of that money was removed from his account this morning and an attempt was just made to delete his financial files. We put a stop to this as we control them now, but whoever tried to delete the files now knows there is someone else looking into-"

"Oh my god." Bella suddenly says interrupting Alice. Everyone turns towards her. "What date was all of the money first removed from his account?" Bella asks.

"July 19th, 2015." Alice replies looking at her tablet for the date then back at Bella in confusion, this expression echoed on everyone else's faces also.

"I know why that money was removed. I found out I was pregnant with Charlie the day before and he beat me to make me lose her. Obviously I didn't but when I was admitted to the hospital, on the 19th of July, he was twitchy and distracted. I thought it was fear of being arrested or whatever for my assault but it continued for a few days afterwards and got worse when they told me I was still pregnant after the ultrasound they did when I first arrived. I was asleep after the intensive check-up they gave me, James had told them I was jumped on the street, that it was a random attack, and they seemed to believe him. Anyway, they thought I was asleep, and at first I was, but I woke up to voices. I opened my eyes and saw James sat in the corner of the room with a tall, broad shouldered man standing over him. I quickly closed my eyes so they wouldn't notice I was awake and they must not have noticed me because they didn't stop talking. I couldn't hear what they were saying as they were whispering so they couldn't be heard on the other side of the curtain, but from the tone, it sounded like the man was threatening James. Suddenly, James hit the bed next to my cast and I 'woke up', and the and the man was gone. I have no idea why the money would be placed back in with more a month ago though, Charlie was four months old-"

Bella was cut off by Jasper screaming "Son of a bitch!" at the top of his voice and Alice gasping and falling on her fiancée's lap. Their phones had just beeped letting the room know that whatever caused this reaction came from new information.

Edward falls to his knees immediately after Alice fell. "Are you okay?"

Alice is shaking and Jasper wraps his arms around her. "I'm fine but Bella needs to know. I can't tell her." Alice whispers to him.

"Okay baby. Edward, go sit with your girl, trust me, she'll need it." Jasper says.

Edward walks over to Bella, pulls her to her feet, sits in her place and pulls her down on to his lap. He wraps his arms around her.

"Edward, no. I'm too heavy." Bella complains, trying to stand up.

"Shh, you're not." He replies holding her closer.

Bella relaxes against his chest, sensing that further arguing would be futile.

"Bella. I want you to first look over at Charlie." She complies and smiles at seeing her little girl rolling over. She looks back at Jasper.

"The information that we just received clears up why all of his money was replaced, with five thousand dollars extra, a month ago. He has been aiding the Volturi family with drug and human trafficking. And he had sold Charlotte, to be given over for when she reaches 6 months old."

Bella gasps and runs for her baby girl, picking her up and holding her tight to her chest. Edward runs up next to her and wraps his arms around them both. Rose walks up and wraps her arms around Jacob, and Alice has her hands securely on her stomach. Esme stands up.

"Everyone is okay. No one is taking anyone's babies. We will stop whatever exchange was agreed upon and catch the people responsible. Jasper, take Alice upstairs to lie down. She was awake all night and now with this added shock, it's not good for the baby. Take as long as you need. Then I want you to find out as much information as possible about the sale; who it was to, how it was arranged, when the exchange would occur, how much for, the payment plan, and find out a way to contact them. We will stage a decoy exchange.

Edward, Rose, Alec, Carlisle, and Marcus, wait for Jasper down in his office. Start looking without him. Bella, Jacob, come with me and help me make dinner, Charlie can sit in the high chair in the kitchen.

At 7.30, dinner will be on the table, I expect you all to be there, with the exception of Alice if she's sleeping or feels too weak, in that case we will bring you food to your room. At dinner, there will be the usual rules, no talk of the business. We will discuss what has been found after dinner. Let's go." Esme says walking into the kitchen.

Edward tightens his hold around Bella and Charlie. "Are you going to be okay?" He asks her stroking Charlie's face.

"Yeah, go and do your job and I'll make you something tasty to eat."

"Okay Angel." Edward gives both Bella and Charlie a kiss on the head before walking down towards Jasper and Alice's office in the basement.

Rose gives Jacob a squeeze and a big kiss. "I love you _so_ much, my baby boy."

"I love you too, mommy." He replies hugging her back.

Rose ruffles his hair and follows her brother down the basement stairs. Alice was pulled up off of the bean bag chair by Jasper. Carlisle walks over to her and gives her a hug.

"It'll be okay, pip." He tells his daughter, using her childhood nickname, before letting her go and watching her go up the stairs towards her bedroom with her fiancée following close behind. Carlisle then makes his way down the basement stairs, the same way his children went, with his brother and father.

Bella and Jacob walk into the kitchen together.

Edward stands in the corner of the room watching Alice put the finishing touches to her fiancée's disguise. She steps back and laughs. "Jesus, it's actually like he's here. Careful or Edward might kill you all over again."

Edward steps forwards and walks slowly towards his best friend and brother in law. "I won't kill you, not that I did last time, but I do have a strong urge to punch you right in the face."

"What's new." Jasper replies.

Edward and Jasper laugh and Alice shakes her head and sits on the bed. "Ugh. I hate you Jas." She huffs.

"You're only 5 months, got another 4 to go. I bet you'll be the size of a house." Edward teases.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, stop being mean." Comes through the open door from the hallway.

"Sorry dear." He calls back as Bella walks through the door.

She walks up to him and hits his chest as he kisses the top of her head. "Are you okay, Angel?"

She sighs and looks down at the baby in her arms. She's grown so much in the month they've been there. She looks healthier. They both do. "No, but I want this over and done with."

Edward wraps his arms around Bella from behind and brings one hand up to stroke Charlie's face. "We aren't using her. She won't even be anywhere near the site this is all going to go down at. You'll both be here, with mom, Jacob, and Alice. Safe."

She looks up at him. "The Charlie doll is so realistic it's scary."

"I know Angel, but it needs to be. Take a look at Jasper."

Bella looks at the bed where Jasper sits rubbing his fiancée's belly. She shivers at the sight of him and Edward's arms tighten around her and he kisses her neck, just under her ear. She moves away from him and narrows her eyes at him, trying to hide her smile.

"Stop it." She scolds him with no real conviction. Over the last month, he's been pushing it with the physical affection. They aren't together but they may as well be, they've never kissed on the lips but they sleep in the same bed more often than not, and cuddle or touch each other every chance they get.

Alice stands up and links arms with Bella. "Come on babe, let's leave the boys and Rose to it, I want brownies and you make them the best. Don't tell mom." She giggles.

They walk out of the room and hear Jasper shout, "Bye then."

Bella hands Charlie to Alice, walks back in and gives Jasper a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry babe." She says and then walks out again. Alice giggles from the hallway.

"Um, no, I don't think so." Edward says. He walks out of the door and towards Bella, grabbing her round the waist, turning her round and kissing her cheeks, forehead and then the tip of her nose. He steps back, spins her back around and slaps her on the bum. "Bye, _babe_." She laughs and winks at him.

"Be safe." She says seriously.

"Don't worry, Angel, I always am." He replies.

"I mean it." She says looking straight into his eyes. He nods his head in reply.

Edward watches as Alice, who is still holding Charlie, links arms with Bella once more as they walk down the corridor and out of sight. He walks back into Alice and Jasper's bedroom to see Jasper laying in the middle of the bed.

"Sleeping beauty, we have shit to do." He says kicking his best friend's foot. Jasper sits up and Edward sees his James makeover again. "So fucking creepy."

Jasper winks at him. "Aren't you glad Alice did that class in theatre makeup now?"

Edward acts like Alice as he says, "So glad." In a hyper girly voice.

"Dick." Jasper says, standing up and punching Edward in the shoulder.

Edward responds by trapping Jasper in a headlock and flipping him over his shoulder. They carry on play fighting for another few minutes until Alec and Carlisle walk through the door. "Really boys? How old are you?" Alec says with a laugh.

The boys get up off of the floor and Jasper walks over to the mirror to fix his wig and make sure his makeup is still intact. He turns towards the three men standing in the doorway, Marcus having joined them while he was checking his appearance. "Wow, that girl really is something." Marcus says in reference to Jasper's looks.

"I know." He says with a dreamy smile on his face.

"Come on, we're ready. Fake Charlie is in the car seat." Alec says.

All men move towards the door, down the corridor and then the stairs and out the front door.

"Be safe." Is shouted out the door by all the women from the kitchen.

"Will do." Is shouted back by all the men and Rose who joined them from the basement.

They make their way out to the drive way, Jasper getting in the front of James's beat up old car with the fake Charlie in the back, while the others get in the surveillance van that will follow behind Jasper. They will sit down the road from the parking lot where the exchange is arranged to take place.

When everyone is situated, Jasper pulls his wrist up to his mouth to talk into the microphone placed in the cuff of his shirt. "Let's go."

 ** _Thank you all for reading, please review, it makes me happy and I work faster. Good night all. ~ Megan xxx_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**I'm spoiling everyone lately, 3 chapters in 3 days. I will try to keep this up until I begin college again but I make no promises. I hope you enjoy it. Unbeta'd so any mistakes are mine.**_

 **Chapter 9-**

Jasper starts the engine of James's crappy old car. "Why the fuck did he choose to drive this rust bucket if he had millions in the bank?" Jasper muses out loud, his voice dripping with disgust.

He hears Rose laughing in his ear. "Just drive."

"You'd be worse if you were in my place, darlin'" He tells her.

"But I'm not, so I can enjoy it."

"Edward, shut your sister up before I do."

"Ladies. Behave." Edward's laughing voice fills Jasper's earpiece.

"Ugh, I hate this family. I'm gonna take Alice and we're running away." Jasper mutters.

"I guarantee you wouldn't make it far." Carlisle says.

"Fight me, Old man." Jasper replies.

Laughter fills the earpiece. Suddenly, Jasper turns onto the highway, the surveillance van 9 cars behind. They all speed up. "ETA 5 minutes." Rose tell them all when they get further down the highway. "Next turnoff."

Turning off the highway, they all slow down and get serious. "Play it." Jasper says.

In the surveillance van, Rose reaches up to the control panel and presses the red button in the middle. Fake Charlie starts to cry. They don't know if the man will already be there so they're getting ready early.

"Jesus, did you record her or something." Edward asks.

"Of course. It has to be as realistic as possible." Jasper says sounding proud. "My girl is a genius."

"I believe I can take about 5% of that credit." Carlisle says. "My girl is a genius also."

Jasper turns the corner, driving into an abandoned and desolate parking lot. "Ugh, this is a shithole."

There is broken pavement, abandoned cars, some burnt out and some just stripped of everything valuable. The streetlights are broken, smashed up and beyond repair. There is a bin across the lot where homeless people obviously congregate, the remnants of a fire still within. Trees shroud the lot from the hotel across the street and the block of flats at the back, obviously a shitty area. The perfect location for this type of deal, even in broad daylight, no one would tell anyone what they saw.

Alec pulls the van to a stop down the road from the lot and walks to the back where the rest of them are watching. They see a red truck drive down the road, pull in to the parking lot and park up across the lot from Jasper.

"Hit her. That's what James would do, then I will turn up the cries." Rose says.

Jasper did what Rose said. The cries increase.

"Shout at fake Charlie." She said.

"SHUT UP YOU WASTE OF SPACE." He screamed at her.

She whimpers and then quietens down. The man who pulled up watches the entire exchange before turning his car on and pulling out of the space.

"What's he doing?" Edward shouts.

"Calm down, I'll block him." Alec says as he runs to the front of the van. Before he can turn it on however, the man parks up right next to Jasper. Everyone in the van relaxes. Edward walks to a tree at the back of the lot, pretending to be a local having a smoke.

They watch as the man gets out of his car and leans against the door. Jasper does the same thing.

"That her?" The man asks.

"Obviously." Jasper replies.

The man nods his head slowly. "Get her out."

"Money first."

The man laughs. "Just so you can drive away with her. No."

"I hate her. Why would I drive away with her still in the backseat?"

"To sell her to someone else. I'm not stupid."

Jasper nods his head. He reaches in the car grabbing the car seat Charlie came to them in and places her on the floor. "That's as far as she goes until I get the rest of the money."

"Let me touch her." The man says.

"I want the money first or this goes no further."

"Someone has grown some balls. When I hadn't heard from you I thought someone had got to you. And then when I tried to delete your bank files, someone had remote control of them. Curious, isn't it? It's almost like you're working with someone else. But not even you would be that stupid. So what is it? It's not the police because whoever it is covered their tracks too well. Almost like they were never there, allowing me some control but I know it's not everything. I can't change details. I can't delete things. Tell me. Now." He says the last word with a gun pointed right between Jasper's eyes.

Edward saw the gun being pulled from his spot by the tree at the back of the lot about halfway through the man's speech and pulled the cuff of his jacket up to his mouth. To any passers-by it would look like he was just scratching his nose as he enjoys a smoke and people watching. "Gun." Is all he said.

Jasper braces himself. In the van, Carlisle and Alec get ready to jump in if necessary; Marcus helping Rose with the technical side of the mission.

Just after the man says "Now." Edward has his gun pressed to the back of his head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Edward says in a cold, hard voice.

Carlisle, Alec, and Rose jump out of the van and run down the path towards Jasper, Edward and the man in the parking lot, their guns raised in case he brought any men with him.

Rose sees a man in a tree out of the corner of her eye, she shoots him right between the eyes and they carry on. More men run into their path and Alec shoots three men dead with three bullets, Carlisle falls behind, covering their rear and shoots four men running up behind them. He sees two men run up to the van, Marcus throws open the door and knocks the two men out, shooting them once their down. At the lot, Edward shoots the man in the shoulder because they need him alive to get information later on. Jasper grabs fake Charlie putting her in the back, her car seat clipping in automatically, and Edward drags the man to the car, throwing him in the boot and runs to the front seat. Jasper starts the car and drives away, Edward hanging out the window and shooting 5 people on the pathway. The other men run away and Rose, Alec, and Carlisle run for the van. Marcus throws open the doors again and they all climb in, Alec rushing to the front, starting the car and following Jasper back to the house.

They pull onto the highway and speed up, Edward and Jasper hearing their hostage bang and shout in the back.

"Everyone okay" Edward asks.

"Yeah. All fine, no injuries." Carlisle answers. "You two okay?"

"Yeah. And we've got the guy. I shot him in the arm and he's in the boot." Edward replies, the boot now silent. "He must have passed out."

"Okay, when we get back, take him round the back entrance and lock him in the basement. Meet me in the kitchen. I hear Bella's making brownies." Rose says.

They all laugh as they pull off the hallway and eventually onto the driveway. Bella runs outside just as Edward gets out of the car. She runs into his arms and he instantly relaxes, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her tight. She suddenly starts laughing.

"Um, Angel, what's so funny?" Edward asks, sounding confused.

"You brought fake Charlie back."

Edward looks behind him and starts laughing along with her. "Jas?" He asks.

"Shit, I didn't realise." He says laughing.

Edward unwraps his arms from Bella and she steps back. He kisses her forehead, takes her hand and they walk into the house, seeing Charlie laying on the floor. She smiles when she sees him and Edward walks over to her and picks her up. "Hello baby girl. I'm going to kill the man who tried to hurt you." He gives her a kiss and places her back down on the floor.

"He's trying to steal my brownies!" Rose shouts as she runs up from the basement after securing the man in one of the rooms.

"Alice is doing a pretty good job of that." Bella replies.

"Alice! Don't eat my brownies!" Rose shouts as she runs through to the kitchen.

Bella hugs Edward around the waist, her hand on his bum, as they walk into the kitchen together. As soon as they're out of her eye line, Charlie starts to cry. Bella disentangles herself from him as she continues towards the kitchen, both of them knowing who she's after, and Edward walks back to pick her up and take her with them. "Come on then, Charlie." He says.

He walks into the kitchen to see all the women round the table, Rose and Alice stuffing brownies in their mouths.

"I swear, she likes you more than she likes me." Bella comments.

"Not possible." He replies sitting next to her.

Charlie starts to cry and reach for her mum.

"Yeah, you can't feed her." Alice says.

"Didn't stop Jake." He retorts.

"Don't bring my boy into this." Rose says around a brownie she stuffed in whole. She swallows. "He was a unique baby, whenever he saw a nipple he thought he would get food." She explains to a confused Bella.

Bella chuckles and reaches for her baby, turning around, getting Charlie situated and then turning back. She leans into Edward and he wraps his arm around her as she nurses.

Edward is stood in front of the man from the parking lot who is tied to a chair, much like James was a month earlier.

"Who do you work for?" Edward asks him sounding bored.

The man just laughs.

"What's your name?"

Again, the man just laughs.

"How old are you?"

Again, the man just laughs.

"Who's your favourite muppet?"

The man looks Edward dead in the eyes and says "Beaker."

This time Edward laughs. "So he _does_ speak." He says turning to look at Jasper.

Jasper steps forward. "What. Is. Your. Name?" He says slowly.

The man doesn't look away from Edward sensing that he is the main threat.

"Come on, you held a gun to my head, the least you could do is give me a name."

The door opens and Alice walks in holding a tablet. "Found him. Laurent Kyle, aged twenty nine. Grew up in Chicago, son to a Mary Kyle, previously Mary Davis, and Jason Kyle. Both died in a car crash when he was twelve, the only survivor their son, Laurent. Placed in the foster care system, he ran away when he was fifteen and was living on the streets. Arrested multiple times over the next two years for minor drug charges and assault. Then he disappears. If I had to guess, I would say that 17 is the age you got mixed up with Aro."

Laurent doesn't flinch or make any indication he heard what Alice said, still keeping eye contact with Edward.

"However, there is a man called Joseph Aclin who curiously shares the same face as you. Now he's popped up many time since Laurent Kyle disappeared. A person of interest in many cases involving Aro, including the one being investigated by Charles Swan of the FBI. Curiously, Joseph Aclin took a trip to England, flying in a week before the fire that killed the Swan family and a Mr Kevin Smith of the FBI. He flew back to Seattle three days later."

Alice is now standing between Jasper and Edward. Laurent's gaze has moved to her.

"You're pregnant." He says.

"I wondered why my stomach was increasing in size. Thank you for clearing it up." She sarcastically answers.

"I bet a Cullen baby would sell for a lot."

"I bet it would. But we shall never find out." She replies.

Laurent goes to speak again but he's cut off before he can even begin.

"If you aren't going to tell us who you work for, what they wanted with that baby or anything else of importance, shut up." Edward says.

"Why would I do that? He's been good to me."

"So have we, you're not dead yet and we gave you a glass of water when you arrived." Jasper says.

"You poured it over my face to wake me up."

"It's not our fault you wasted it." He says with a shrug.

Laurent spits at Alice, she steps back before it can reach her. Rose walked in just before he spat and walks slowly over to him before punching him round the face.

" **WHO. DO. YOU. WORK. FOR!** " She shouts in his face.

He laughs. "Two woman. The Cullen's are even more fucked than we thought."

"I believe it's you who is fucked." Alice says before walking to the cupboard across the room and retrieving one bottle of the acid that is stored on the top shelf. She walks over, hands it to Rose and leaves the room.

"Weak." Laurent scoffs.

"No, pregnant." Rose answers. "Can you grow a life in your body? No, I don't think so." She kicks him in the balls. "You genitals are weak. A woman's can push a human being out of it."

She then uncaps the bottle of acid, when she does this, Edward and Jasper step back, and she pours it over Laurent's crotch. He starts to scream as the acid corrodes his flesh, his penis literally disintegrating before their eyes, his clothes having already corroded away.

"Whoops, slipped." Rose says with a shrug of her shoulders. She leans in close to him and whispers "And there is plenty more where that came from." She smirks and steps back.

Edward steps forward, "So, now do you want to tell us who you work for?"

"No. I will never grass." He screams through the pain.

Edward smiles. "I was hoping you'd say that."

He walks out of the room and up the stairs into the living room. "Mom, where's that steal tub you used to bath us in when we were babies?"

Esme and Bella look up. "Do I even want to know?" She asks.

He shrugs and then smiles. "Probably not"

She smiles and shakes her head before standing up and walking out of the room. Edward walks over and sits next to Bella who is cuddling Charlie. He pulls her into his side and he looks down at the baby in her arms. "Don't worry Charlie, I'm hurting the nasty man who wanted to hurt you."

Bella looks up at him. "What _are_ you doing to him?" She asks.

He looks at her. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah. If I'm going to be in your life then I want to know what you do."

He smiles lovingly at her. "Okay, well Rose just spilt acid all over his crotch and we watched as it melted his skin." He laughs. "His dick has all but melted off."

Bella smiles. "Now what are you going to do?"

"That doesn't scare you or gross you out?" He asks her.

"No. It's for my baby and he's a bad man. Even then, I strangely don't care. My loyalty lies with this family and he tried to threaten that. Take him down."

"It could be argued that I'm a bad man." Edward tells her.

"Yes. But you're _my_ bad man."

He leans down and kisses her forehead. "Next I'm going to lock his hands to one of the bars on the walls so he can't go anywhere and bathe him in acid until he talks. Like I did to James with the cuts and the lemon juice but more extreme. I know this guy can take it, James would have passed out."

"Why can this guy take it?"

"He will have been trained to withstand immense pain and interrogation techniques."

Bella nods her head and snuggles into Edward's side as they wait for Esme to come back.

"Gossip girl?" Edward asks looking at the frozen screen of the television.

"Yeah… How do you know what it is, there is no title showing anywhere." She smirks up at him.

"Um… Ah… Fuck it, I've been known to watch an episode or two."

Bella laughs at his embarrassment.

"Try every episode ever made." Esme says walking back into the room with the steal tub.

"Yeah, thanks mom. Now she'll never want to be my girlfriend."

"I can let this one slide." Bella says with a laugh, acting like it's a big ask.

"Thanks Angel." He says giving her and Charlie a kiss on their foreheads as he stands up. He walks over to him mom and does the same thing. "Thanks mom." He takes the tub from her.

"You're welcome. Don't get acid on yourselves." She says after guessing what it's for.

"We won't." He calls from the basement door, confirming her thought.

He runs down the stairs and walks back through the door. Laurent is sat there bloody and bruised but still not talking.

"What did you do?" He asks with a smirk, turning toward his sister knowing it's her handiwork.

"I had a little fun with my baseball bat." Rose says with a smile.

"Hmm, he's looking a little dirty, don't you think?"

"I agree."

"Bath time." Edward says holding the tub up in his hands and walking over to place it on the floor by the wall. "Jas, bring him over and secure his hands on the pole."

Jasper does just that while Edward gets more acid out of the cupboard. He walks back over slowly.

"Now, either you tell us what we want to know, or we pour more and more acid in your bath. Understand?" He says to the broken man in front of him.

Laurent says nothing.

"I'll take that as a yes. Who do you work for?"

Again, Laurent says nothing.

"Okay." Edward says as he pours 250ml of acid in the tub.

Laurent starts screaming again.

"What did they want with Charlie?"

Nothing. More acid is poured and more screams fill the room.

"Who do you work for? I can literally do this all day. And don't think we'll let you die before telling us what we want. This can go on for as long as you like." Edward says.

"Fine. I work for Aro Volturi."

"Great. Finally we're getting somewhere. What does he want with Charlie?"

Nothing.

"Really?" Edward exclaims.

He pours another 250ml of acid into the tub.

"What does Aro want with Charlie?"

"Who's Charlie?" Laurent asks through the pain.

"I knew you were stupid but I didn't realise you were this stupid. The baby James sold to you."

"He wants to train her. He has loads of them. Boys too. Not just babies either."

"Train her for what?"

"Sex."

Everyone stops.

"She's a baby." Jasper says.

"I know, but he trains them from a young age. They are more compliant but it can be done when they're older. A lot of trade is done this way."

"When does he sell them?"

"Whenever, depends on the age the customer wants."

"That's sick. What about the boys?"

"Fighters. They are recruited and work for him."

"Like you."

"Yeah."

"You're sick. You help this. Where were you supposed to drop her off?"

Nothing.

"Again?"

More acid is poured in the tub. Laurent is almost passed out from the pain, it's up to his ankles and completely covers his ass.

"Where were you dropping her off?"

"555 Gilmore Street." He screams out through the pain.

"Anything else we need to know?" Edward asks.

"Aro knows she's alive."

"We guessed as much when we found out James worked for him. Anything else?" Edward asked.

Nothing.

"Okay." He picks up the acid and starts to pour. He doesn't stop when the bottle is empty, he just picks up another. Laurent continues screaming as his body is burnt and melted by the acid. They watch as the life drains from him. His breaths get ragged and uneven, getting further and further apart.

"Isabella isn't the only one who survived." Is breathed out, and then silence fills the room.

 _ **Please review. They make me smile and work faster. I hope you enjoyed it. ~Megan xxx**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy. This is a really fluffy chapter because I think they deserve it, and I hope you love it.**_

 **Chapter 10-**

"What did he just say?" Edward says quietly and slowly.

Rose and Jasper have been shocked into silence, they all look at each other.

"What did he just say?" Edward shouts.

Rose and Jasper jump at the sudden rise in volume. Rose walks towards him and places her arm on his shoulder.

"Go to her, tell her, and support her. Jasper, Ali and I will look into it." She tells him quietly.

"I don't want her to get her hopes up if it isn't true though."

"It will be worse if she finds out we're keeping information from her." Jasper tells him being the voice of reason.

Edward hangs him head and nods. Suddenly, he kicks the tub with Laurent's dead, melted body inside. "Get someone to clean this up." He says to Jasper before walking out of the room into the corridor.

Alice walks out of her office and sees her brother lean against the wall and slide down it. She walks over and sits next to him, leaning her body against him and he wraps his arm around her shoulder as he lays his head on top of hers. "What happened?" She asks him quietly.

"He's dead." Is all Edward says.

In the room Edward just vacated, Rose and Jasper hear Alice and Edward talking so they stay where they are. Jasper pulls out his phone and texts Alec, Carlisle, and Marcus to help search for threats while they look into Laurent's claim.

"I guessed as much, but you're never this affected." Alice replies.

"I killed him too soon." Edward's voice sounds empty as it always does when he's being self-critical.

"What do you mean?"

"Just before he died he said 'Isabella isn't the only one who survived.'"

Alice gasps. "I'll look into it, but it isn't your fault. He did that on purpose, he wouldn't have said anything unless he knew he was dying and there was no bringing him back. You did nothing wrong, it may not even be true, just something to distract us. Especially now they know Bella's with us. We'll up the surveillance and the protection details, no unnecessary trips out of this house, and whatever else you, dad, Alec and Marcus think we need. Now go to Bella, tell her what's happened because it will hurt her if you don't."

Edward nods his head, unwraps his arm from around her shoulders and stands up. He reaches down to help Alice up off the floor and gives her a hug. "Thank you, Pip." He says.

"Anytime Eddie." She replies.

Jasper and Rose walk out of the room and into the hallway as Edward steps back from Alice. Rose walks towards him, "I don't think so. I want in on this sibling love." Alice smiles and pulls her sister to them both by her sleeve.

"Come on then." Alice says.

Edward wraps his arms around them both just as Carlisle and Alec walk down the stairs.

"Aw, look at all of my babies." Carlisle says to Alec.

The three siblings break apart and look at their father. Edward laughs and opens his arms, "Want to join?"

Carlisle runs for them. "Of fucking course I do."

He grabs his son and two daughters and pulls them to him while Alec grabs his phone and takes a picture of the gathering. They break apart. He looks at his father and uncle, "Do you know what was said?" He asks.

They both nod their heads and Alec says "Jasper texted us. Dad needed a lie down after earlier but he will be down soon."

"Okay. I'm going upstairs to talk to Bella and I want you all to look into the claim from Laurent and also try to find out what Aro's planning." Edward tells them all.

They all nod their heads and Edward walks to the stairs, passing Alec on the way. Jasper walks over to Alice, takes her hand and they walk into their office together with the others following close behind. 2 men walk out of the furthest room on the left and into the room Laurent is in, the clean-up crew. Edward watches his family and smiles before moving up the stairs and into the living room. He sees Esme and Bella on the sofa in the same positions as they were in earlier. They must have put Charlie to bed, along with Jacob who was in the kitchen doing homework the last time Edward was up from the basement, as she's not in sight and the kitchen light's off, but the new baby monitor they bought is sat on the table. They look up and Esme runs over to him after seeing his expression.

"What's wrong?" She asks him.

"I need to talk to Bella. It's up to her if you stay but you'll hear it later. There will be another family meeting when we know more, Jasper, Alice, Rose, Carlisle, and Alec are looking in to it now."

"Don't worry, I'll go." Esme tells them both.

Bella nods her head and watches as Esme walks into the kitchen and the light is turned on. Edward sits down next to her and Bella leans against him. He wraps his arms around her and she relaxes into him with a sigh.

She no longer feels worthless around Edward and his family because they always include her and make her feel like an individual. She also no longer doubts Edward when he says that he likes her, no matter the situation that arises. When they first made contact with the man that James had sold her baby girl to, Edward had pulled her to one side. She thought he was going to tell her he changed his mind about her, and when she told him he fears, he didn't get angry but he told her that he doesn't and she needs to stop thinking the worst of every situation. After that, she went to Esme to ask her questions about Edward, after asking his permission. During her talks with Esme, she realised that everything Edward has told her is true and she also found out how happy Esme is at the change in her son; Esme then offered to be Bella's councillor and she accepted. Everything they talk about it confidential and no one pressures either of them to say what has been discussed. Bella tells Edward most of it anyway when they're in bed, which is also a nice development. After Bella's first counselling session, she felt broken and couldn't sleep so she decided to knock on Edward's door to see if he was still awake. He wasn't, but he woke up to see who was at the door. He opened the door and saw Bella with tear stains on her cheeks and pulled her to his shirtless chest, Bella blushed when she realised this detail and that only made Edward laugh.

"Can't sleep?" He asked her

"No. I can't turn my brain off."

"Want to cuddle until you drift off?"

She nodded her head.

"My room or yours?"

"Yours, your bed looks comfortable but we're still close enough to Charlie."

He stepped away from their embrace, took her hand and led her over to the bed. The covers were already pulled back due to Edward being asleep when she knocked on his door. Bella walked around to the other side of the bed.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Um, getting into bed?" She answered unsurely.

"But you're so far away." He pouted.

Bella laughed. "I was giving you your side of the bed, I can move over."

He nodded his head in acceptance. "Okay, but you better."

They got into bed and Bella scooted over to Edward, laying her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and hummed a song.

"What song is that?" She asked him quietly.

"It was mom and dad's wedding song."

"It sounds familiar. What's it called?"

"At Last by Etta James."

Bella smiled. "My mum loved that song."

Edward lent down and gave Bella a kiss on the top of her head. "Sleep." He whispered.

She snuggled deeper into him and sighed. "Okay."

Within a few minutes, her breath evened out and she was asleep. Since then, they've slept together most nights, sometimes in his room, sometimes in her room, but always in his room on counselling nights.

Bella is brought out of her thoughts by Edward saying her name.

"Bella, love?"

"Sorry, what's up?" She says.

"Where were you just now?" He asks her squeezing her tighter.

She burrows deeper into him before saying, "I was thinking about how far I've come in the last month. How I feel wanted and accepted by you and your family while still being an individual and that I no longer doubt your feelings. Then I thought about the first night we slept together."

Her cheeks flame red when she realises what that sounds like, even though they are the only two in the room and they both know what she means.

"I love your blush. I hope that never goes away." Edward says. "That's a nice memory to get lost in. I know I do, often."

Bella smiles up at him. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

The mood changes and Bella can hear Edward's heartbeat speed up. She sits up and turns towards him. Not liking the distance, Edward reaches out for her hand. "Bella, before Laurent, the man downstairs, died, he told us something. It was on his dying breath and this was done on purpose so we couldn't ask him more. It may not even be true, I just want to get you ready for the possibility it's just a lie and a diversion while we look into it."

"Okay. What did he say?"

"He confirmed what we already knew, both him and James worked for Aro and he knows that you survived the fire. He also said that… you weren't the only one to survive the fire."

Bella gasps and starts to sob. "What?"

Edward grabs hold of her and pulls her to him, she grabs hold of his jacket and sobs into his chest. Esme hears Bella start to sob and runs into the living room. She stops in the doorway and meets Edward's eyes. She silently asks him if she should intervene when he shakes his head, she walks back into the kitchen and worries about the girl on the sofa. When will it end for her?

After a few minutes, Bella calms down but doesn't stop crying. "What were his exact words?"

"'Isabella isn't the only one who survived.'" Edward tells her softly.

"Oh my god." Bella's head drops and she falls silent trying to process what she's been told. After a few seconds, she looks up. "So my mum, dad or Emmett may be alive?"

"Yes, but they may also be dead and this was just a distraction. I want you to know, that we are putting almost all of our resources into this, the rest is looking for any threat that may befall this family, including you and Charlie. If we find out that Laurent told us the truth, we will do whatever we can to bring whoever it is to safety."

She falls back into Edward and he holds her tightly to him. "Okay. So until then we just need to wait?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We'll keep you informed every step of the way."

"Okay." She nods her head. "Thank you."

"It's about your family, you deserve to know."

Bella shakes her head. "Not just about that, about everything. I'm fat, and don't say that I'm not because it's true. I'm not being down on myself, just making an observation. I'm fat and you all look like models but you don't treat me any differently. You put me back together, literally. I was a mess, broken bones, bleeding, bruising, I was and still am actually, a mental mess. I was depressed, still kind of am but I'm getting through it, and that's all thanks to your mum helping me sort through my head, Alice and Rose for being like sisters to me, your dad for patching me up and treating me like his own, and Alec and Marcus for treating me no differently than they treat you or Alice or Rose or Jasper. You look after my baby, you all love her like she's a Cullen. Give her clothes and anything else she needs. So thank you … for everything"

"You don't need to thank us, Angel, we enjoy it. You should just get better and love yourself and that is thanks enough. Now it's late, let's go to bed."

Edward stands up, holds out his hand and she takes it, he pulls her to her feet, she grabs the baby monitor off of the table, and they walk up the stairs to her room together. She stops him before he can follow her in. "Can we sleep in your room tonight?"

"Of course, I'll meet you in there, but can I say goodnight to Charlie first?"

Bella smiles and moves out of the way, allowing Edward to walk in the room. She walks over to her dresser, places the monitor on the top of it, grabs some pyjamas out, and walks towards the bathroom. Edward watches Bella walk away before walking over to a sleeping Charlie. She's dressed in a pale purple Babygro and has her favourite blue dummy in her mouth. Edward gently strokes her cheek before leaning down and giving her a kiss. "Goodnight baby girl. I love you." He whispers.

Bella opens the door to the bathroom and places her dirty clothes in the hamper by the wardrobe. She looks over to see Edward kissing Charlie and smiles before walking towards him and placing her hand on his lower back and rubbing it. She wraps her arms around his waist and looks down at her baby girl.

"She looks so healthy now."

"It's because you're eating nutritious food so your milk is better."

"It's more than that, she's happy, and clean, and safe. I really cannot thank you enough."

Edward wraps his arms around Bella. "You don't need to thank me, we all love her."

He unwraps his arms from around her and walks out of the room. As he goes, he says, "I'm going to get changed, I'll see you in a minute."

Bella watches him go and unknowingly does the same thing as Edward. She gently stokes Charlie's face and then leans down and kisses her head. "Goodnight baby girl, mummy loves you _so_ much."

She walks back into the bathroom and brushes her teeth, getting ready for bed. She then walks back into the room, grabbing the baby monitor off of the top of the dresser, takes one more look at Charlie, and walks into the hallway, closing the door quietly as she goes. Walking into Edward's room, she hears him still in the bathroom brushing his own teeth so she gets into his bed to wait for him.

Edward rinses his mouth and walks into his bedroom seeing Bella in his bed. He smiles at the sight wanting to see that for the rest of his life. "Hey Angel."

She looks up and smiles. "Hi." She pats his side of the bed, "Come on, I'm getting cold."

He walks over to the bed and climbs in, pulling her to him and laying her head on his chest just like the first night. "Have I told you how cute you look in your pyjamas?"

"Not tonight you haven't." She smiles up at him.

"Good, because it would be a lie. You look beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, and absolutely breath-taking in you pyjamas." He kisses her forehead.

She hits his chest gently, ducking her head so he can't see her blush and smile.

"It's true. You're gorgeous."

She looks up at him and he sees something in her eyes that he can't identify. Suddenly, she leans up and kisses his cheek. He smiles and hugs her closer to him. Her top has fallen down so her cleavage has been revealed; Bella hasn't noticed but Edward's eyes stay on Bella's. She then leans down and kisses him on the lips. Edward stays frozen for about 2 seconds, as this is the first time this has happened in the month they've known each other, until he feels her pull away so his hand comes down on her head, pulling her back to him, his other holding her tighter over her back and he's kissing her back.

After a few seconds of this, they both pull back, panting. Bella rests her head under Edward's, but he can feel the heat from her blush and her smile. She kisses his throat before resting back on his chest. "Wow." She says.

"More than wow. Fantastic." Edward replies, a smile clearly in his voice.

She looks up at him, "In case I haven't made it obvious before, I like you too."

His smile gets wider and he leans down to kiss her again, just briefly, but she pulls him back to her and he feels her tongue asking for entrance. Opening up, they kiss for a few minutes longer before they pull apart, panting worse than before. "That's never going to get old." Edward says, awe in his voice.

"I know I've only known you for a month, but I can't stand the thought of you with anyone else." Bella says slowly.

"I haven't been with anyone for years. I wouldn't be with anyone else now I have you. Even if you didn't want me, I don't think I could move on. My feelings are too strong."

"I want to be your girlfriend and for you to be my boyfriend. I know that seems a little juvenile calling us boyfriend and girlfriend, I'm probably showing my age, but that's what I want us to be." Bella says in a rush, hiding her face once more, afraid of rejection.

"Bella, look at me." He waits until she does. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Well, we practically are anyway. I don't want us to have sex anytime soon, I'm defiantly not ready for that, but I want to stake my claim on you, make us official. Just calling you my boyfriend will make me more sure of us because then I know what to say. God, I'm rambling now. Yes, I'm ready."

Edward smiles. "Then yes. I, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen would love to be your, Bella Marie Swan's, boyfriend."

She beams up at him and reaches up to kiss him. He meets her halfway and they kiss for another few minutes before breaking apart and falling asleep in each other's arms.

 ** _I hope you liked that chapter as much as I liked writing it. Please review. ~Megan xxx_**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Back again. I received less reviews for the last chapter than normal. Did you not like the fluff? Here is a good balance between fluff, Edward's loving family and drama/action. I really hope you enjoy it.**_

 **Chapter 11-**

Edward wakes up with a jolt in the middle of the night and instantly hears why. He looks down at the sleeping girl on his chest and smiles, remembering the night before. Looking at the clock, he sees that it's 4.30am so he gets out of bed slowly so he doesn't wake Bella, walks over to the baby monitor and silences it before walking out of his room. He leaves it ajar and walks into Bella's room, flicking on the light as he goes, and to a crying Charlie. He picks her up.

"Hey baby girl, what's wrong?" He asks, bouncing her gently to calm her down. When she's calmer, he notices her dummy isn't in her mouth and understand why she's crying. "Did your dummy fall under the cot? Let me find it." He tells her. He walks over to the changing table and lays her down knowing she will also need to be changed before walking back to the cot and getting on his hands and knees retrieving the dummy.

He stands back up and sees movement out of the corner of his eye. On auto piolet, he reaches into the drawer underneath the cot, grabs a gun and turns to whoever was in the doorway. The entire movement took about 2 seconds from the moment he notices the person to when the gun is trained on them but once it is, he notices that it's Alice. "Sorry Ali." He says lowering the gun and placing it back in the drawer. "Can't sleep?" He asks her as she moves closer into the room. He can see that she's wearing her favourite duck pyjamas and fluffy unicorn slippers. Edward just shakes his head and laughs.

"No, they sent me up here around midnight and I think I've got about 2 hours sleep since then." She says slumping in the rocking chair next to the changing table and placing her finger in Charlie's hand.

Edward walks over to the changing table and starts to change Charlie. "Why not?"

"Everything. I'm so worried for Bella. I mean it's one thing after another. She got dragged into this unknowingly, her entire life Aro must know about. We know everything about whoever it is that's investigating us, their family life, their home addresses, he must have known too. From the moment she was born he was a silent member in her life. He sent both her and Emmett gifts for Christ sake."

Edward finishes changing Charlie, picks her up and walks out of the room towards the stairs leading downstairs with Alice following behind. "I never thought of that. Jesus. None of this is her fault and now she has to deal with the fact that one or more of her family members may have not died in the fire and have been abducted by Aro. Fuck, they may have even died after the fire, either in hospital or with Aro. There are so many possibilities and we don't even know if the fucking claim is true."

They walk into the kitchen and Alice turns on the light, taking Charlie and sitting with her at the table while Edward takes a bottle out of the fridge and warms it up. While he waits, he leans against the side. "She's putting on a brave face but I know she's hurting." He hears the beep letting him know the milk is ready and he gets it out before walking over to Alice and Charlie.

"I want to do it." She says holding out her hand for the bottle. Edward places it in her hand and sits down next to her while she begins to feed Charlie.

"The shitty thing is, Bella's going to feel guilty that she's not here feeding Charlie herself but she needs to sleep. She pumps for this reason but every time she doesn't feed Charlie herself she beats herself up about it." Edward pauses. "I don't think she realises, but every time something bad happens, we always sleep in my room. I knew it was going to happen tonight, that's why I walked slightly behind her instead of next to her but I don't mind." Edward smiles. "She kissed me tonight."

Alice gasps and smiles at her brother.

"Then she asked me to be her boyfriend." His smile widens.

"And you said…?"

"Yes of course. I asked her if she was sure and if she was ready and she said yes and seemed to be sure of herself, so I said yes."

"You two act like a couple anyway. I'm so happy for you Eddie."

"Thanks Pip."

There is movement out of the corner of their eyes and they see Jasper, Carlisle, and Alec walk through into the kitchen.

"We sent you up to bed hours ago babe." Jasper says to Alice. He then looks her up and down before smirking, "Nice pyjama's."

She winks at him and then answers. "I couldn't sleep and then I heard Charlie crying so made my way to her room. I've been talking to Edward."

Jasper walks over to her and gives her a kiss and sits next to her. "Speaking of which, lost your clothes, Edward?"

"Fuck you, I was woken up by Charlie. You'll learn this in a few months, but when a baby is crying, you don't have time to get dressed and it's not like I'm walking around with my cock out."

Carlisle hits Edward round the head.

"What the fuck, dad?"

He hits him again. "Language, there's a baby in the room."

Alec laughs from the fridge. "Like that ever stopped you, Edward's first word was 'fuck' and he hasn't stopped saying it ever since."

They all laugh and then Charlie finishes her bottle pushing it away. Without thinking, Alice slaps a towel over her shoulder and starts to burp her. Carlisle smiles at his daughter.

"What?" She asks.

"You'll make a great mother, baby girl."

"Thank you daddy." She smiles at him and then they hear Charlie burp. Alice wipes her mouth. "I'm going to put her back to bed and then go back myself. Goodnight all." She give Jasper a kiss, then kisses her dad on the cheek.

Alec places a sandwich down in front of them all and sits at the table. "We've found something, so the meeting will be tomorrow when everyone is awake. We're going to eat this and then go to bed. Rose went up about an hour after Alice." Alec tells them all.

"Okay. I'm going to go back to bed." Edward says to them all once he finished his sandwich.

"Night baby boy." Carlisle calls after him, a jokey tone in his voice.

"Night daddy." Edward calls back, blowing his father a kiss, playing along.

Alec and Jasper laugh at the exchange and shove the rest of their food in their mouths. Edward runs up the stairs and down the corridor to his room. He stops off at Bella's room to check on Charlie and sees that she's fallen back asleep. Smiling, he walks back into his room and jumps seeing Bella awake and sat up in bed.

"Jesus, you scared me." Edward exclaims.

"Sorry."

Edward gets back into bed and Bella lays cuddled up to him again. "I woke up and you weren't here so I went and checked on Charlie and saw she wasn't there so I figured she was hungry."

"I didn't want to wake you. I had a nice conversation with Alice though. She's amazing with Charlie, a natural."

Bella smiles. "I can't wait until she has her baby. I've always loved babies, all my life I've dreamed of having 5. I want a big family."

Edward smile. "I like the sound of that. Let's have an army. One down, 4 to go."

Bella sits up in shock and looks down at him.

"What?" He asks.

"You're not freaked out?"

"Why would I be? I want children, I want you, and I want children with you." He pulls her back to him.

She smiles up at him and he leans down to give her a kiss. "Let's go back to sleep, Angel."

"Okay." She lays her head down on his chest and they fall asleep again.

The next time Edward wakes up, the sun is shining through the window and Bella is nowhere in sight. Looking at the clock, he sees it's 8.15am. He gets up and goes into the bathroom, taking a shower and getting ready for the day. Walking back into his room with a towel wrapped around his waist, he sees Bella bent over at her side of the bed, looking underneath it. Edward clears his throat and Bella flies up.

"I… um… I dropped my bracelet and was just looking for it… I'll come back." She stammers, her face red.

"You don't need to leave. I'll just get my clothes and get changed in the bathroom." Edward tells her. "Can I get a kiss first though, I missed out this morning."

"Sorry, Charlie was up so I got up."

"That's okay." He smiles at her.

She walks over to him and gives him a kiss on the lips. "Good morning." She smiles up at him. "Now go and cover you nipples, if I can't get mine out, you can't get yours out."

"Who said you can't get your nipples out? This is a safe place." He says gesturing around his bedroom with a smirk on his face.

She hits him lightly on the arm. "Behave." She leans up and kisses him again before walking back over to her spot on the bed, leaning back down to look under it while Edward grabs his clothes and walks into the bathroom again.

When he walks back into his bedroom, Bella is no longer there and the bed has been made. He smiles at the sight knowing Bella hates making beds as she sees no point in it as it's only going to get messed up again, but she knows that Edward needs everything in its place. He leaves the room and walks down to the living room.

"Alice is still in bed, we'll wait until 9.30 and if she isn't up by then, we'll wake her up, have breakfast and then hold the meeting." Marcus says from the sofa. He's watching cartoons with Jake.

Edward nods his head and then walks over to Bella, sitting next to her and she leans against him. He wraps his arms around her and then leans down to give her a kiss. When they pull apart, they see Esme, Carlisle, Rose, Alec, and Marcus all watching them with varying expressions of shock, surprise, and happiness on their faces.

"What?" Edward says with a smile.

Alice walks down the stairs at that moment and squeals. "I'm so happy for you both!" She walks fast over to them and gives them both a hug. She then stands up. "Now I'm hungry." She walks into the kitchen wearing the same duck pyjamas and fluffy unicorn slippers as she was wearing last night.

Esme laughs and follows her into the kitchen.

After breakfast, they all congregate in the living room, this time, Bella and Edward are sat on the sofa at the back of the room, Esme and Carlisle next to them, and Jake in the corner of the room with Charlie like last time. Alice is on the chair and Marcus is in the beanbag. Jasper and Alec are stood in the front of the room.

"Yesterday, Laurent Kyle was killed by Edward, Rose, and myself. Just before he died, he said, 'Isabella isn't the only one who survived.'"

Esme and Marcus gasp and look at Bella who has her head buried in Edward's chest, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Bella." Esme says. She runs over to her and wraps her arms around her.

When everyone is calm again, Jasper continues. "Rose, Carlisle, Alec, Alice, and I have been looking into this claim and we found something. In the newspaper, they reported that the entire family had died. Which is obviously wrong because Bella is sat in this room."

"They knew." Bella interrupts.

"What?" Jasper asks.

"The neighbours, they all knew that I was okay so should have queried the article. They stopped me from going back in or round to the front of the house. Oh my god, what if someone got my family out of the front door?"

"Alice-" Jasper gets cut off.

"On it." She says tapping on her tablet. "Who told you that your family was dead?" She asks Bella.

"James's father, Brian Rothwell, was the one that told me it wasn't safe to go back into the house. Then there was my next door neighbour, Maria Ivans, who told me that I was the first one out of the house since they noticed the fire. The fire wasn't visible from where we were and they wouldn't let me go back in. Her and her husband but I never knew his name. Then the neighbours on the other side of us, Jake Brines, told me that him and his brother, Kevin Brines, would watch the window and that I should go with James back to his father's house but then the roof caved in so I assumed that no one survived. Then James's father told me that he asked a fireman and no one lived. I saw the beam fall on them all and so didn't bother to help them. They must have died from that, right?" Bella asks them all.

"I don't know Angel." Edward tells her softly.

"I've looked into your neighbour's bank records and it seems like they were all working for Aro, or at least they all were around the time of the fire. They all received a substantial amount of money a week before the fire." Alice tells the room.

"It was a set up. They all knew where you were going to run out of because of where the fire was blocking. They know where it was going to be set. That's why they were all waiting outside your brother's room window. I'm so sorry Bella." Jasper says looking at his own tablet.

"Does this confirm that my family or at least one of them, are alive?" Bella asks.

"Not necessarily. They knew you were going to run out as they were waiting there, or at least they knew someone was going to run out. The James thing was a nice way to get you to America. When you got pregnant with Charlie, the money was removed because he probably wasn't supposed to touch you but then they figured out a way to make money off of it. Selling her. If they buy her off of James they could get a better price for her later on." Edward tells her.

"What did they want to do with her?" Bella asks, not sure that she actually wants to know.

"Laurent said that Aro trains the young girls for sex and sells them at whatever age the buyer wants." Edward answers gravely.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She says.

Edward rubs her back. "Don't worry, we've got an address where the drop off was supposed to take place and are looking into it. Obviously they will know something's wrong when he didn't turn up and is now missing so they will probably move the girls somewhere else. The drop off address wouldn't have been the final address because we got it out of him to easily. We may have to stage another sale."

Bella nods her head. "Okay. What else did you find out?"

"We have people undercover that are working for Aro and they told us about some people that they're watching for him in a warehouse. In that group of people are 3 women and 4 men that match the description of your mother and father. We have them pulling hairs and we are going to run a DNA test on them when we get them later today. Laurent also told us that they take boys as well and train them to be fight for him so we have our people watching out for any young boys that may match your brother's description. Unfortunately, he was 13 when the fire occurred so he would be 15 now and his body may have changed a lot in that time. We have completed a computer simulation off of the pictures we found in files of you brother to what he would look like now and sent them to our guys. They will pull hairs from anyone who even slightly resembles the picture of your brother to carry out a DNA test to find him as well." Alec says.

Bella nods her head. "Can I see the picture please?"

Jasper taps a few times on his tablet before passing it to her.

She gasps. "It looks just like my dad at 15."

"Well then we know that we're correct then." Jasper says with a smile.

"I know this is hard hitting and a lot to take in, but focus on the positives, we have a picture of your brother that we have sent out that is probably one hundred percent accurate and a group of people that may house your parents. If they're alive, we will find them." Alec says to her.

"I'll try." She whispers.

"What funeral service handled your family?" Alice asks looking at her honorary sister.

"I don't know, James's parents handled that and I was too depressed to go to the funeral. I don't even know where their graves are."

"Okay. I'll look into it." She says to Bella.

She nods her head. "Sorry."

"Don't worry, this is what I do." She says trying to reassure her best friend.

Edward stands up and walks to the front of the room. "Is your house still there?" He asks Bella.

"It should be, it was completely paid for so my parents owned it, they left it to me and Em in their will. It's mine now to do with as I please. No one should have touched it."

"Okay, Jasper, look into it and see if there is anything on the house since the fire and we will all need tickets to England for a few weeks' time to see the-" He gets cut off by a loud bang and then the alarms start going off like crazy, signalling an attack on the house.

Rose runs to get Charlie and Jacob who had flung himself across Charlie to protect her when he heard the bang. She takes hold of Jacob's hand and picks the baby off the floor, running towards the safe room where Edward is rushing Bella, Alice and Esme.

"Angel, go in there, we'll get you when it's safe. It's soundproof so no one will know you're there. Mom and Alice will explain it all. Rose has Charlie, she's coming." Edward rushes out trying to reassure his girlfriend but knowing they don't have a lot of time.

"Be safe baby." She says to him, in floods of tears.

"Always am, Angel."

He kisses her on the lips as Rose rushes Jacob inside and Esme takes Charlie. The two break apart and the last thing Bella see's is a man crash through the back door and start to shoot before the door is closed in her face.

 ** _Sorry for the cliffhanger, will get the next chapter up ASAP but it needs to be written first. It will probably be up tomorrow because I write to help with my anxiety and results day is in 6 days so for the last few days I have been writing a chapter a day and posting it as soon as it's finished. Don't worry, I won't leave it like this for long. Please review. ~Megan xxx_**


	12. Chapter 12

_**I'm sorry for what I've done to you all. Please don't hate me.**_

 _ **TRIGGER: If you are triggered by pregnancy complications/miscarriage, don't read the end of this chapter. I will put a line before it so you know where it is.**_

 _ **Don't worry, I will start writing the next chapter as soon as I post this one.**_

 _ **Enjoy.**_

 **Chapter 12-**

Bella stands there looking at the closed door before she turns and looks at the others in the room. Esme hands Charlie to Alice and walks over to Bella, wrapping her arms around her and walking her over to the sofa in the room. Looking around, Bella sees the room is painted a deep red with a television mounted on the wall, has hard wood flooring and a room off to the side with a full bathroom inside. Bella looks at Esme in confusion.

Esme stands up and walks to the wall at their left. She places her thumb on a pad and it opens a door that leads to a long hallway with 10 doors dotted down it. "Through here are seven bedrooms, all en suits, one of which is set up for Charlie, a games room for Jake, and a computer office for Alice/ second living room." Esme closes the door and walks to the wall at the back, she places her thumb on another pad and another door opens revealing a full kitchen.

"Wow." Bella says in awe.

"Your thumb prints are also programmed into the system, you can get into any of the rooms. There is a second safety feature just in case anyone manages to guess the code to this room, once in the hallway, we can make the thumb pads disappear and so the doors will disappear and no one can get into the true safe room. This hallway is also fireproof so if someone was to set a fire in the main room, we would be safe. We can get out of the computer office in that case and that leads right outside by another of the thumb controlled doors. If someone was to break in however, we would get told."

This entire exchange is rushed and takes about a minute in total. "Now we need to get into the hallway because this room is just a decoy and they may have seen the door close."

Bella looks and sees Jacob and Alice have disappeared and Esme is ushering her towards the door that leads to the hallway. Esme places her thumb on the pad and it opens just as they hear banging on the door to the room they're in and an alarm starts to sound. Bella stands up from the sofa and runs through to the hallway as Esme follows close behind her. The door slides shut behind her and she presses her thumb to the pad inside the door, through the screen next to the door, they see the pad and door leading to the kitchen disappear and the door and pad leading to the hallway disappear just as a group of men burst into the room and start shooting.

Alice sticks her head out of the door right at the end to the right. "Bella, mom, in here."

Bella starts to run down the hallway looking behind her.

"They can't get in here, Bella. Don't worry." Esme says.

Bella stops running and waits for Esme to catch up. "One sec Ali, I'm just going to show Bella a bedroom."

"Okay mom. I put Charlie down and Jake is in his games room."

"Okay baby." Esme opens the door closest to her and gestures for Bella to walk in first. She steps into the room and sees a room identical to the one she sleeps in upstairs. Esme walks through to the other side of the room and opens a door that leads to the bathroom. "These are the spare rooms, your room upstairs can be decorated any way you like."

"I like my room upstairs, I think I'll keep it like it is if that's okay."

"It's your room, you can do what you want with it. Let's go and see Charlie's room."

They walk out of the room and into the one next door. They walk in and see a full nursery, complete with gender neutral colours, a new cot, changing table and dresser. Bella gasps. "Oh my god, this is amazing." Bella turns to look at Esme. "Thank you." She wraps her arms around Esme in a big hug.

"You don't have to thank us Bella, we want to do this for you both. You're a part of this family now. Do you want to see the games room?"

Bella nods her head, so after giving Charlie a kiss on the forehead, they walk out the door and into the one next to it.

"Hi Jake, I'm just showing Bella the games room." Esme says when they walk in.

"Okay nana." He says not looking up from his X-Box game.

Bella looks around, there is a Playstation, Wii and an X-Box in the unit on the floor which also houses many different games for each console, with a TV on top. To the side there is a computer to play PC games on and a PSP sat on the computer table. "Emmett would have loved this room." Bella says with a smile.

Jacob perks up and looks at her. "If he's alive, we can hang out. Do you think he'd like that?" He asks.

"If he's alive, I'm sure he'd love that." Bella says.

"Okay Jake, we're going to be across the hall with Auntie Ali, remember to keep it down, Charlie's asleep next door." She says to him with a kiss on his head.

"Okay nana." He says turning back to his game, which appears to be some kind of racing game.

The two women walk out of the room. "Sorry if he upset you." Esme says.

"I'm fine." Bella replies with a smile.

They walk into the room right in front of them and Bella gasps. "Wow." She says again for the second time in 5 minutes.

"I know right." Alice says turning towards her best friend with a big smile on her face.

They both walk over to where Alice is sat in front of a series of large monitors and Bella realises what they're looking at; the fight in the main house.

"You haven't missed much, while you were looking at the rooms, the men that broke in to the safe room were shot dead by Alec, he's running through the rooms taking out as many as her can, and Edward and Jasper shot dead 5 men in the kitchen. Marcus is upstairs taking them out as they walk up the stairs and Dad is in the basement. Rose is hiding in the alcove by the door taking out as many as she can as they come through the door." They hear more gunshots ring out and Bella jumps. "Oh, and we also have audio."

They see a tall man run up behind Edward and Jasper and raise his gun. The three women stop breathing as it doesn't appear the boys have noticed him. "EC, it truly is an honour to kill you." He says.

Bella hides her face and starts to cry, Esme wraps an arm around her.

Before the man can pull the trigger however, Rose runs into the kitchen and shots him in the back of his head. "Cocky bastard." She mutters before spinning around and shooting 3 men who ran up behind her.

"Thanks Rose." Edward says, shocked that he didn't think to look behind him. He just assumed Jasper was looking that way. All three of them run out of the room and take out the next load of men that enter the house.

"I should be up there." Alice says rubbing her bump.

"You know you can't. Rose suffered the same when she was pregnant with Jake." Esme said placing a comforting hand on her daughters shoulder.

They watch as Alec runs in the room and both parties raise their guns but lower them when they realise who it is. The women then watch as the four of them split up, trying to get as many as possible before their eyes are drawn to where a man dressed in all black and wearing a mask covering half his face, his mouth uncovered, walks into Bella/ Charlie's bedroom. "Where did he come from?" Bella asks.

"I have no idea, I've been watching since I got in here, he must have got in before I started watching. Marcus has his back to him. Shit!" She shouts.

They all watch as the man walks over to Charlie's cot and picks up the pink elephant that Edward bought her a few weeks earlier and rips its head off. Bella gasps. He then walks over to the bed, reaches in the cabinet on the left side and pulls out a marker pen and a piece of paper. Walking over to the dresser, he leans over and appears to be writing something. Suddenly, he stands up and looks right into the camera before walking towards is slowly, his head tilted to the side slightly and a smirk on his face. He hold up the paper and on it, the words 'Hello Isabella' are written. Then, he pulls out a gun from his back pocket, raises it to the camera and shoots. All of the screens turn black.

"Fuck! He's shot out the entire system!" Alice screams.

"What?" Bella asks. "How?"

"That is the main camera, kill that one and they all die. It's like when Christmas lights blow, you need to find the one that controls them all. The cameras always run and never die because they're run from Alice and Jasper's computer. Whoever it was must have known the camera to shoot out. We placed it in a random room so this wouldn't happen, now we can't see anything." Esme explains to Bella frantically.

"I can't get them back." Alice tells them, slumping down in her chair. "I can't get them fucking back!" She suddenly screams.

The door opens and Jacob walks in. "Is everything okay?" He asks his voice small.

Esme opens her arms for him to run into. "Of course baby boy. We've just lost the feed and Alice is a little stressed. I'm sure they're all okay." She says into his hair as she holds him tight.

"Then why are you crying?" He asks her, reaching up and wiping under her eyes.

"I'm just feeling a little emotional because I love you so much." She tells her grandson.

Bella stands up and holds out her hand. "Come on Jake, why don't we go and play video games together. I used to play with my brother so it's been a while. I'm warning you, I'm a little rusty."

He looks at his nana and she nods her head at him. "Go on, Alice and I will be fine."

"Okay nana. I love you too." He tells her, kissing her cheek before taking Bella's hand and walking out of the room with her. "I'll go easy on you."

Bella looks back at Esme and Alice. "Thank you." Esme mouths at her. Bella just nods her head and lets herself be pulled into the games room.

Once the door is closed, Jacob turns to her. "It's bad isn't it?"

"What? No. The feed dropped out is all." Bella replies.

"Nana is scared and Alice looks sad. You look freaked out and sad and scared and worried and are also a bad liar."

Bella smiles. "You're observant for a seven year old." She comments and then sighs. "The feed didn't just drop out, a man shot it out after writing a message for me. We don't know what's happening right now or if anyone's hurt. That really is it."

"Okay. Thank you for telling me. Nana thinks that not telling me helps me but I freak out more when I don't know." He sits on his beanbag chair and sighs. "I hope everyone's okay."

Bella sits down on the beanbag chair next to him. "Me too little man, me too."

Jacob hands her a controller and they start to play the racing game that he was playing before but neither of their hearts were really in it. After driving her car into the wall for the 5th time, Jacob smiles. "Let me help you." He places his hands over Bella's and shows her how to control the car and the amount of pressure needed so she doesn't lose control again. After 2 laps like this, he finally lets her control it on her own. They play a few more games, half-heartedly trying to beat each other when they hear another bang, this time on the wall against the hallway opening.

Bella flies to her feet. "Stay here." She tells Jake before running out of the room and closing the door. She sees Esme and Alice in the hallway as well.

"I can't see what's causing it, the camera in here is controlled by that one as well." Alice says sounding scared.

They hear the bang again and all jump. Esme turns to Bella. "They can't get in. Fireproof, soundproof, bombproof. To them, it's just a wall." She turns to Alice. "To them it's just a wall right?"

"Yes. No one can get in." Alice reassures them both and Esme and Bella let out a sigh of relief. "Bella, grab Charlie, Mom, get Jake. We'll wait it out in the office together just in case."

"Just in case! I thought you said we were safe!" Bella shouts freaking out.

"We are, but just in case they use one of them out there to get in-" Alice cuts herself off.

"What?" Bella asks.

"We can cut off their fingerprints. The only issue is, we won't know if it's safe to come out."

"There's the peephole in the kitchen door." Esme says.

"Yes but that might be too risky if there's someone looking for anything in the main room. They could see and be able to use it against the others." Alice says.

"What if the banging is them?" Bella asks.

"It isn't, they'd just use the thumb pad. They know how to bring it back up." Esme says.

"Then what's stopping anyone from forcing them to? Like a gun held to Edward or Rose's head forcing Carlisle to open the door or something?" Bella starts to hyperventilate.

"Calm down Bella. This is why we need to block their fingerprints. We never needed to do this before because we could always see what was happening. I'm going to block their fingerprints, one of you get the children, and the other one go to look in the peephole." Alice says.

"Esme, you go and get the children, I'll look in the peephole." Bella says.

"Are you sure?" Esme asks her.

"Yes. If I'm going to be a part of this family, I need to step up." Bells tell her with conviction.

"Okay." Esme says rubbing Bella's arms before turning and walking down the hall. "I'm going to block of the door. We won't be able to hear anything when we're in it and it's completely shut off. The code is 6605398227 to get in." Esme shouts and then runs through to Jacob's games room, first getting him and the Charlie.

"I'll see you in there." Bella says, her heart hammering. What if they get in the hallway before she can get in the room? "Which way do I go?" She asks Alice.

"Through that door there." She points to the door right next to them. "Then follow the corridor, when you get to it, turn right." Alice says.

"Get to what?"

"It's split, go right."

"Okay." Bella says before opening the door and running down the corridor. She's running for about 2 minutes when she comes to the split and she stops. "Left or right? I can't remember. Think Bella think!" She hears a bang come from the right side of the corridor and Alice scream behind her. Without thinking any more, she runs down the left side and is running for another two minutes, which feels like two hours, until she comes to a wall. "Fuck!" She screams placing her hands against it, before taking a deep breath, turning around and running back to where she came from, and turning down the right corridor.

She runs down the corridor, the same distance as the left side, even though it feels double the time than the last one, and comes to the kitchen. She's breathing really hard and places her hands on the counter to steady herself. Drips of sweat run down her face and she grabs a piece of kitchen towel before bringing it to her face to wipe it off. After a few minutes, Bella manages to calm herself down enough to walk over to the wall where the thumb pad is. "What if the door opens, Jesus, I should have let Esme do this. Okay Bella. Look around and see if there's an obvious peephole."

She runs her hands all over the wall and finds nothing. "Okay Isabella. Calm and think. The pad is the only thing that could work. Okay." Bella lifts her shaking hand to the pad and presses her thumb to it. She holds it down.

"Door opening." An automated voice says.

"Fuck! No!" She slams her thumb down on the pad over and over again until the voice is heard again.

"Door closing. Peephole opening. 10 seconds only."

She lets out a sigh and leans close to the hole in the wall, placing her eye to it. She looks out and sees the man from her room upstairs lounging on the sofa, Edward and Rose, tied up and gagged, unconscious at his feet, Jasper tied up and gagged, awake, next to them. Blood is strewn all around the room, looking like a bad horror movie set. Bella starts to sob. Suddenly, the man's head turns towards the peephole and he smirks again. He laughs and kicks Jasper in the head before shooting the wall where the door is.

'That explains the bangs' Bella thinks, sobbing uncontrollably.

The peephole suddenly closes and Bella falls to the floor, gasping for breath. After a few minutes of this, she manages to calm herself down enough to run out of the room, back down the corridor and out of the door.

\- (AN: If triggered by pregnancy complications/ miscarriage stop here.)

She runs for the room, stopping when she hears a whimper from behind her.

Bella turns around and sees Alice laying front down the floor.

"Help."

She run towards her. "What happened? Did you fall?" She asks her frantically.

Alice nods her head. "It hurts." She says.

"I'm going to get Esme, I'll be right back okay?" She tells her best friend.

"Okay." Alice says through a sob.

Bella runs down the hallway and bangs on the door. "Esme." She shouts. No answer.

"The code." Alice says with a wince.

"Right. I've got this." She looks at the keypad next to the door. She presses the keys slowly, trying to remember. 6605398227. The door beeps open.

Esme is on the other side of the door with a gun pointed at her. "Bella! Where's Alice?" She shouts jumping to her feet, the gun falling to the ground.

"She fell. I need your help." Bella rushes out.

Esme runs out of the room and down the hallway; Jake holds the door open.

"I'm coming baby. Tell me where it hurts." Esme says as she runs down the hallways. She falls to her knees next to her daughter.

"Everywhere. I feel wet." She says around sobs.

"I need to get you into the other room. Bella help me get her down the hall so I can check her out."

The two women wrap their arms around Alice and they pull her to her feet. The look down and see blood. "Shit!"

 ** _Don't hate me. I am writing the next chapter as you read this AN. Please review. ~Megan xxx_**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Hi, I know I said that it may be Christmas before I post a new chapter, but my mum has let me use her laptop because writing really helps with my anxiety and I was freaking out last night. But anyway, I'm having to rewrite the chapters that I lost and we will be back on schedule for a chapter every Wednesday for a while. I hope you enjoy this._**

 **Chapter 13-**

"What?" Alice asks her mother, freaking out.

"Calm down baby, you're bleeding but we aren't going to worry about it until we have to, okay?" Esme answers.

"Calm down? I'm bleeding!" Alice shouts.

"Yes, you are, but there might not be anything wrong and stressing out might make something happen. Let's not stress until we have to stress." Esme tells her daughter calmly as they reach the door.

Jacob holds the door open even wider and gasps when he sees them all. When they're in the room, he pushes the door shut and turn towards his grandmother, tears in his eyes. "Nana, is she okay?" He gestures towards the blood coving the crotch, bum and the tops of the legs of her jeans.

"I don't know baby boy, I'm now going to look." Esme answers her grandson. "Bella, can you pick the gun up off of the floor and hold it pointed at the door please just in case. Jacob, I want you to stand away from the door, over next to Charlie for the time being please."

Jacob runs to the other side of the room where Charlie is resting in the makeshift bed, a cushion laid on the floor with pillows either side of her to stop her from rolling over.

"Jake, you have a really important job. I need you to make sure Charlie doesn't roll over, she needs to stay on her back to be healthy." Esme tells him calmly, slipping into her profession nurse persona knowing that it's what her family needs. If she stresses, so will her daughter and it might cause more harm to the baby.

"Okay nana." Jacob says, taking his responsibility seriously and keeping his eyes on Charlie.

Esme lifts up her daughter's top as Bella reaches down and picks up the gun before sitting in the chair that Esme vacated a few minutes previously. Esme feels around her daughter's stomach and then lets out a huge sigh. "Oh thank god. I feel a kick."

"I thought so but I didn't know if that was just pain." Alice says.

"No, defiantly a kick baby girl, your baby is fine. Now I need to figure out why you were bleeding, okay?" She pauses.

Alice nods her head, wiping the tears from under her eyes trying to calm herself down. Her baby is kicking, that's all that matters right now.

Esme unbuttons Alice's trousers and pulls them down with her underwear. "Can you spread your legs wide please? Really wide. Wider than that, I don't have any tools so I'm going in blind, I need room to see. Place one leg over the back of the sofa and place the other one on the floor." Esme suggests and then she waits while her daughter complies.

"Ouch." Alice moans out.

"I know baby, the pain might just be because of the fall. I need to relax. It will make it easier for me to see and will help calm both you and baby down." Esme sooths her daughter. She inserts her fingers inside of her daughter to see if there is any damage to the cervix and to make sure the fall didn't induce an early labour. After about 5 minutes of making sure the fall didn't cause any issues to her daughter or her grandchild, she pulls back and looks at her daughter. "I think you're fine, but when we get out of here, you're going straight to the hospital for a full and proper examination. I'm not taking any chances but I think you're okay." She reassures her daughter and grabbing a blanket to cover her up so she doesn't have to put back on her dirty, bloody clothes, before turning to look at Bella. "What did you see through the peephole?"

Bella looks up at her boyfriend's mother. "Um, well the man from Charlie's bedroom is there and he's sat on the sofa shooting the wall where the door is which explains the bangs we heard. Edward and Rose are tied up, gagged and unconscious at his feet, I don't know if they're still alive but I couldn't see any gunshot wounds on their bodies but I also couldn't see if they were breathing or not. Jasper is also there, tied up and gagged but conscious." Bella gets interrupted.

"Jazzy! Does he have any wounds?" Alice frantically asks Bella.

"Not that I could see Ali, I'm so sorry I couldn't see more. The man knew I was there though, he turned and looked at me before kicking him around the head. The room also looks like the scene of a bad horror movie, blood everywhere. I have no idea where the other three are or if they're okay or not, they weren't in the room or in view through the door but I also couldn't see anyone else, it looks like it's just that man in the house but they could just be somewhere else. It sounded too quiet though, almost silent apart from the man in the other room" Bella finishes.

"Okay." Esme stands up from her spot at Alice's feet. "I'm going to go out there. I need to get us out and see if my babies are okay." Esme runs over to the wall and places her hand flat against it. A blue light shines over it and then a beep sounds before the wall literally opens up and Bella sees an entire closet of guns.

"Jesus." Bella says with a gasp.

Alice looks over at her from her spot on the sofa where she is holding and softly stroking over her pregnant belly. "I know. Jazzy made that."

Bella looks back at her and blinks in shock. "That's cool and almost like something straight out of a science fiction novel, but I was more on about the guns. How many guns do you all need?"

"They're all different. We never know what situation might present itself and so we're always ready. That, and we love guns." Esme explains placing her hand back flat on the wall where the blue light appears once more and the wall closes. She then walks over to the door and pulls it open before looking back into the room. "I will be back for you, don't worry. No matter what, I'm getting you to a hospital Ali."

"Okay mom, be safe. I love you." Alice replies.

"I love you too baby girl, you too Jakey."

"I love you too, Nana." Jake calls over to his grandmother, looking away from Charlie for the first time since he was given the task to watch over the baby.

Esme smiles at him before walking into the hallway and closing the door. Taking a deep breath, she walks down the hallway and places her ear against the door but hears nothing. She walks over to the door that leads to the kitchen and walks through it, running down the corridor and taking the right turn. When she reaches the kitchen, she stops to grab a glass of water. "Calm Esme. Your babies need you."

She finishes her glass of water and places it in the sink to clean up later before walking to the door and placing her thumb lightly on the thumb pad for a second before pulling it off.

"Peephole opening. Ten seconds only."

Esme leans over to look through it and sees the room exactly the same as Bella reported, except the man is looking around the room as if unsure and nervous, holding the gun in his hands so tightly his knuckles are white.

"Peephole closing."

Esme reaches down and presses her thumb to it and holding it down for a few seconds.

"Door opening."

Esme cocks her gun and leans over to look out of the door before it's fully open, shooting the man in the shoulder holding the gun before running over to him and knocking him out with the base of her gun before he can even react, as the door slides to a close behind her. He slumps down on the sofa, falling unconscious. Without turning her back on him, Esme leans down and feels for a pulse in her two children and sighing in relief when she finds one. "Thank god." She mutters removing their gags and untying them both.

She then walks over to Jasper, still keeping her eyes on the unconscious man lying on the sofa, and unties him before helping him to his feet. She reaches up and feels around the cut on his head. "Are you okay? Any blurred vision-"

He bats her hands away. "I'm fine. It was just a few hits to the head. How's Ali?"

Esme looks up and him and her face softens.

"What?" Jasper asks, knowing the look on his future mother in laws face can mean nothing good.

"She fell on her front and was bleeding." Before she can get the next word out, she's interrupted.

"What!" Jasper shouts looking at the women in front of him and then to the wall where the door is hiding that leads to the hallway and his fiancée.

"She fine! I felt the baby kick and the bleeding has stopped, the cervix also doesn't show any signs of early labour." Esme rushes to reassure him. He relaxes but not by much, he won't fully relax until he sees her and gets her checked out by a doctor. "I'm going to find the others. Tie him up and make sure he can't get away before we can speak to him." Esme kicks his gun away from the man on the floor. "Also wake my babies please."

Edward groans from the floor, followed by Rose. "Too fucking loud." She complains.

"Alice fell!" Jasper tells the two on the floor.

"What!" Edward shouts sitting up suddenly and then clutches his head in pain. "Fuck. Why am I tied up, is Ali okay? The baby?" His words almost a whisper as his head starts to pound from whatever drug was in his system making him feel as if he has a bad hangover.

"I think she's okay, I felt the baby kick and the bleeding stopped. This guy knocked you out and tied you up. I need to go and find the others, Jasper, tie him up and then go to Alice, she's in the office. Don't kill him." She shouts as she runs out of the room and into the living room.

Seeing that room clear, she runs into the kitchen where she finds Alec unconscious on the table. "I just fucking cleaned that this morning." She grumbles running over to her brother in law and feeling his neck for a pulse. Felling one, she unties him and removes the gag and then she checks around the room for anybody but finding it clear so she runs off the last room she saw her husband in. Running down the stairs and into the basement, she sees her husband tied up and gagged, but conscious.

"Esme!" He shouts out around the gag.

She runs over to him, removes the gag and unties him.

"I must have been knocked out because one minute I was about to shoot someone and the next I was waking up bound and gagged." He explains. "How's everyone else?"

"Alec's unconscious in the kitchen, Rose and Edward were unconscious but are now awake in the safe room, Jasper bound and gagged but awake in the safe room. No idea about Marcus yet as I haven't found him. Alice fell on her front and bled, I checked her out and felt a kick, the bleeding stopped and she doesn't appear to be in early labour." Esme rushes out as they both run upstairs.

Carlisle runs towards the safe room as Esme runs towards to stairs. "I'll check her out." Carlisle calls after her.

"Thank you!" Esme shouts back before running up the stairs and onto the first floor. Seeing no one in the hallway, she walks into every room, her gun raised as she looks through every room carefully, all 15, under the bed, in the closets, in the bathrooms but finds it completely clear. She moves up a floor, again looking in all 15 rooms, under the bed, in the bathrooms, in the closets, nothing. Moving up to the final floor, she repeats the same process again, and finds Marcus tied up and gagged, unconscious in the last room on the left. She runs up to him and feels for a pulse. Finding one, she relaxes and unties him until he jumps up and scares the crap out of Esme. "Ah!" She screams falling back in shock.

"Sorry, what happened?" He asks as he stands up and they make their way back down to the living room, slowly because of the pounding headache Marcus now has.

"You were drugged, so was Edward, Rose, Carlisle, and Alec. I shot the guy that did it, everyone's okay, Alice fell on her front though and bled. I checked her over and don't think there's anything wrong, the bleeding stopped, baby kicked and there are no signs of early labour. Carlisle's checking her out now." Esme replies.

They walk into the safe room to find everyone, including Alec, banging on the wall and trying to get into the corridor, holding their heads in pain but needed to get to Alice, and the man, still unconscious but tied up laying on the sofa. "Crap, sorry. Alice blocked all of your fingerprints. Long story, I will explain later." She says as she opens the door for them all to get in.

Jasper and Carlisle sprint down the hallway and push on the door trying to get in before turning towards Esme who is running up behind them. "Sorry, extra layer of protection. Bella is holding a gun behind there as well."

Edward smiles. "That's my girl."

Esme puts in the code to open the door, 6605398227 and pushes it open, seeing Bella sat there with the gun raised. Bella lets out a massive sigh of relief when she sees that it's just Esme and drops the gun to the floor. She walks over to the other side of the room and picks up a sleeping Charlie while Jacob runs out of the room to his mother, only after checking with Bella that it's okay, and Jasper and Carlisle run into the room to check on Alice. Bella stands up with her sleeping daughter in her arms and walks out of the room cautiously, not sure whether Edward and Rose are awake or even alive. Seeing Jacob in Rose's arms, Bella relaxes some, if Rose is alive then surly so is Edward.

"Angel!" Edward calls.

Bella's head whips around and she sees her boyfriend. Running over to him, he wraps his arms around her and Charlie, softly stroking the baby girl's head. "You're okay." Bella says in relief, not realising that she has started to cry until her tears fall onto Charlie's head and she sees the damp spots that they're creating on Edward's shirt. She reaches up and wipes them away but more just keep coming.

"I'm okay." He whispers into her hair. "How's Alice."

"Fine as far as I know, after Esme checked her over, I made sure she stayed still on the sofa." Bella replies.

"Thank you, Angel." He says kissing her on the lips and then leaning down to kiss Charlie on the top of the head. "I'm going to go in and see her, do you want to come with me?"

"No, I'll stay here. I've been in that room for far too long." She tells him.

"Okay baby." He kisses her again and then walks into the room and over to see his sister. "Are you okay?" He asks her, kissing her on the head and taking hold of her other hand.

Carlisle is checking her out.

"Yeah, apart from the fact both of my parents have looked up my vagina today." She says attempting to lighten the mood even though they're all worried about the baby.

Edward and Jasper laugh at that and Jasper brings her hand up to his face to kiss it. Carlisle leans back, removes his gloves and places the blanket back over his daughter. "It looks like everything's okay, but I still want to get you to the hospital to triple check."

"Okay daddy." She says.

"I'll run up to the room quickly and get you some clean clothes babe." Jasper says before running out of the room and passing a bewildered looking Bella.

There is only her and Esme in the hallway, Bella standing quietly, leaning against the wall trying to process everything that's just happened and Esme is watching everything that's going on in the room.

"Esme, can you go with Alice? I would as well but I need to check everyone else out." Carlisle asks his wife.

"Of course." Esme says stepping into the room and leaving Bella by herself in the hallway.

Marcus steps out of the room and walks over to Bella. "Are you okay?" He asks.

"I don't really know." Bella replies slowly. "What the actual hell just happened?"

Jasper runs back through with a pair of sweatpants and a pair of clean underwear of Alice and into the office.

Marcus wraps his arm around Bella, "It must be a lot to take in. Everyone is fine though. We will have a meeting soon and break down everything that has just happened so we're all on the same page."

Bella nods her head. "Okay-"

She gets cut off by a muffled shout from the other room. "Bells!"

Without thinking, she hands Charlie to Marcus and takes of running down the hallway and into the first room of the safe room. She recognises that voice and no one has called her Bells since the night of the fire.

"Edward!" Marcus shouts to get the attention of his grandson. "Bella's run over to him!"

He wakes up the sleeping Charlie who starts to scream her head off as Edward runs out of the room instantly knowing what his grandfather meant and seeing his girlfriend knelt down next to the man that put them all in there. He runs over to her as he sees her pull of the man's mask.

"Oh my god." Bella breathes out in shock, feeling as if the wind has been knocked out of her.

 ** _So... what did you think? I would never hurt Alice's baby, and we find out the sex in the next chapter. Boy or Girl, what do you want? Who do you think it is under the mask? Review and tell me. See you all next Wednesday. ~Megan xxx_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Hi, I'm back. I worked it out and if I did a chapter a week, by the end of October, there would be a massive break, probably until next Summer because I will be so consumed by school work that I won't have time to write. This is why I'm going to aim for one chapter every two weeks so there is a better chance at there being no post breaks. At this moment in time, I have up to Chapter 21 written so that's chapters up to December 7th. I have another two weeks left of my summer holiday and I am aiming for a chapter a day. I don't really have much to say here today except that I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have to recommend that you listen to a song that I listened to when I wrote the second half of the chapter, when they go up to Edward's bedroom to talk. It will really add to it. It's called, 'I Get To Love You' by Ruelle. Look it up on YouTube, you won't be disappointed. It's my favourite song at the moment.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 **Chapter 14-**

"Bella, is that…" Edward trails off.

"It's Emmett." She replies looking at her boyfriend. She then looks back at her brother and removes the gag.

"Don't remove the rope. He's still dangerous." Edward rushes out before his girlfriend lets him free.

"What?" Emmett asks.

"You tried to kill us. You might try to kill us again. You are dangerous." Edward tells him slowly.

"Edward, he might be dangerous but he's still my brother. Back off." She snaps at him and then turns back to her brother. "Why Emmett?"

"Why what? Bells, I have no idea what you're talking about. I was driven here and placed in this room, given a gun and then five minutes later, shot and knocked out. Then I wake up, I'm gagged and tied up and then I hear your voice." Emmett says confused. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

Bella looks at Edward with pleading eyes. "Jasper!" She shouts.

Jasper comes running out of the room with frantic eyes, his gun raised. "What?" He asks in confusion, lowering his gun when he sees no one in danger.

"Emmett says he was placed here five minutes before he was shot." She turns on her brother. "Wait, you go shot?"

"Priorities Bells." Emmett tells his sister and she turns around to look at Jasper.

"Did he get placed here five minutes before he was shot?" Bella asks Jasper.

"Yeah, that man walked out and then 2 minutes later, he was brought in by another man and told to wait for you. He was given a gun and then the men all cleared out. Sorry, I should have said but with Ali, I forgot." Jasper apologises.

"It's okay." Bella says with a smile. "Thank you. Tell Ali I hope she's okay."

"Will do." Jasper says with a smile before running off down the hallway and back to his girlfriend who is getting put in the car and then they drive off to the hospital.

"Edward, he might not have had anything to do with it, it doesn't sound like it." Bella pleads with her boyfriend.

"He stays tied up, I will get Carlisle to check him out and screen him for chips, and I will also get Alec to check his story." Edward concedes.

"Okay, thank you." Bella says to her boyfriend and then she takes hold of Emmett's hand.

Carlisle walks into the room with his bag full of medical supplies, followed closely by Edward and Alec.

"Hi Emmett. I'm just going to check your head. Are you experiencing any blurred vision? Headaches, other than the one caused by being knocked out? Dizziness? Memory loss?" Carlisle asks him as he sits down on the stool that Edward placed in front of the sofa.

"No. I'm fine, just a bit sore." Emmett replies.

"Okay, that's good." Carlisle reaches into his bag and grabs his light, lifting it up to Emmett's face. "Okay, I need you to follow the light with just your eyes, don't move your head."

Carlisle moves the light back and forth, first in front of Emmett's right eye, and then his left. "Okay, your head seems to be okay. Alec is going to ask you questions and then I'm going to take you down to the basement, into the examination room I have down there and screen you for any chips. I can't sew your bullet wound until I've screened you unfortunately. I must apologise for my wife doing that to you."

Edward and Alec start to laugh. "Did you really just apologise for Mom?" Edward asks rhetorically.

"You're going to die bro." Alec tells his younger brother.

"It's okay, she was just protecting her family and that includes my sister. Thank you doc." Emmett says, turning his head to look at Alec. "Ask away."

"Tell us what happened after the fire?" Alec says.

"I remember going to bed that night after the film finished we were watching that night and then I woke up in a pitch black room, tied to a table. Then three men walked in and one of them sat next to me. He told me that his name was Aro and that someone had taken my sister. He also told me that he was going to help me get her back. Then he locked me in a house for last two years and I was never allowed to walk outside. I was taught to fight and shoot but never allowed to leave. The first time I walked outside in two years was this morning when I was herded towards the car by one of the men that was always watching me, Jared Lewis. I was driven here and see loads of cars parked up and windows smashed before loads of people run out of the house and into the cars before they drove away. Then I see Aro again, for the second time in two years, walking out of this house and over to me. He told me that my sister was in this house and I needed to wait for her. Then I was put in this room by Paul Fife, another one of the men that were always watching me, given a gun and told to wait before everyone disappeared. That's it, honestly." Emmett says looking at the three men in the room and finally landing on his sister.

All eyes then move to Alec who is furiously typing on his tablet, trying to corroborate the information he was given. After a few minutes, he lifts his head up and looks Bella in the eye. "He's telling the truth, I just asked a few of the guys that are undercover with Aro. They knew that the picture that we sent them might be you but they couldn't get close enough to get a hair from you. Someone was always watching you."

Bella smiles so wide her face almost splits in two and she reaches over to give her brother a massive hug. "I missed you so much, Emmy!"

"I would hug you back Belly, but I'm kind of tied up at the moment." Emmett jokes.

"Jesus, yes. Sorry." Bella rushes to untie her brother. "You need to get screened now. Can I come with him?" Bella asks Carlisle.

He smiles at Bella. "Of course, dear."

"Great, I just need to get Charlie, Marcus woke her up when he shouted for Edward." She says, getting up and walking back down the hallway and into the office.

She walks in and sees Charlie being bounced on Marcus's knee to calm her down.

"Look Charlie. It's mommy." Marcus coos at the baby girl. "I think she wants you." He says passing her over to Bella.

"I'm going to introduce her to Emmett, he's been cleared and is now going down to be screened for chips." Bella tells them all as she walks out the door, back down the hallway and into the room where she sees Edward and Alec now sat on the sofa where Emmett once was.

"Hi Charlie." Edward says giving her a kiss on the head and sniffing her. "I love the smell of babies." He looks at his girlfriend. "First door of the right. Don't worry about knocking."

Bella smiles at him, kisses his lips and then walks out of the room. She walks towards the basement door, down the stairs and then turns to the door on her right. Without knocking, she walks in and sees Emmett laying on a table under a massive machine.

"Hey Bella, Charlie. I'm just screening him for chips but it's almost complete." Carlisle says.

A few seconds later, a beep fills the room and Carlisle stands up from his monitors, walking over to Emmett. Lifting up the machine, he looks at Emmett. "You have three chips. One in your shoulder, one in your groin and one in your bloodstream. The chip in your shoulder keeps an eye on your heart rate, the one in your groin keeps an eye on your location, and the one in your bloodstream looks at what hormones you're producing."

"Jesus." Emmett says sitting up.

Carlisle walks over to the monitors again and picks up his medical bag again. Emmett looks over at his sister and smiles.

"Hi Belly, and who is this little cutie?"

"Emmett, meet Charlie. My daughter."

Emmett's jaw drops and he looks at his sister. "Your… your daughter. You have a daughter?"

"Her name is Charlotte, Charlie for short. Charlotte Marie Swan." Bella says.

"Oh my god. How?" Emmett asks.

Bella smirks and raises an eyebrow at her little brother.

"Obviously I know how, but who? When?"

"Her sperm donor was called James Rothwell." Bella tells him.

"James Rothwell? As in Brian from next door's creepy ass son, James Rothwell?" Emmett asks shocked.

"Yes. After the fire, I thought everyone was dead so James took me in, then he moved to America so I moved with him. He raped and beat me but I got a beautiful baby girl from it." Bella explains quickly knowing what her brother's reaction is going to be.

"He what!" Emmett roars making Charlie cry from the sudden raise in volume. "Sorry Charlie. Can I hold her?" He asks his sister, putting away his anger for now.

"Yeah." She says passing her screaming daughter over to her brother.

Emmett rocks her and makes weird faces until she stops crying and then starts to coo at her. "Hi Charlie. I'm your uncle Emmy, and I promise to always give you that extra cookie when nasty Mummy tells you no."

Bella laughs. "You can clean up the vomit then."

Carlisle laughs and pulls up a stool to sit in front of Emmett. "Sorry, but you'll need to give Charlie back to Bella so I can remove the chips."

Emmett hands the baby over to her mother and Carlisle passes him a glass full of cloudy looking liquid. Emmett looks at it with a disgusted look on his face. "What is it?"

"It's going to break down the chip in your bloodstream and you will urinate it out. Don't worry, it tastes like Lemonade." Carlisle says.

"Okay…" Emmett says, holding his nose and knocking it back. "Ugh, you lied. That tasted like shit."

"I know." Carlisle says with a shrug. "It was the only way I knew you'd take it. Sorry. Now I need to numb your shoulder, thank Esme for shooting it, it means I don't need to cut." He says reaching up and injecting his shoulder and groin with a local anaesthetic.

"I'm getting mixed feelings here doc, should your wife be sorry or should I be grateful?" Emmett asks with a smirk.

"Bit of both." Carlisle replies back smiling.

They wait 5 minutes and Carlisle pokes his shoulder with a needle. "Do you feel that?"

"No."

"Great." He reaches into his bag and pulls out a long tweeser type tool, reaches into Emmett's bullet wound and pulls out a little chip. He places it in a small plastic container and then stitches up the wound and cutting open Emmett's groin, reaching in and pulling out another chip and then sews up the wound.

"Where's the bathroom?" Emmett asks.

"Through that door there." Carlisle says pointing towards a door on the other side of the room. "Thank god that liquid works fast, they may have still been getting the transmissions."

Emmett jumps off of the table and walks over towards the bathroom and closing the door as Edward walks in. He walks over to his girlfriend, takes her daughter out of her arms, hands her to his father and wraps his arms around her, giving her a massive kiss on the lips.

"I have my little brother back." She says in shock but with a huge smile stretching across her face. "Thank you." She reaches up and kisses him again.

They don't notice Emmett walking out of the bathroom until he's standing right next to them and he clears his throat. They break apart and look at him.

"Hi, I'm Emmett, and you are?" He says to Edward even though he saw him upstairs, he thinks they should have a proper introduction considering he walked in on his sister and this man kissing.

"I'm Edward. I'm Bella's boyfriend." Edward replies.

"He's like thirty, Bella!" Emmett exclaims, looking at his sister now.

"Actually he's thirty-five." Bella says with a smirk.

"You're eighteen!"

"Thank you so very much for pointing that out, I'd forgotten." Bella sarcastically replies.

Emmett smiles at his sister. "I've missed this."

"Me too, Emmy. I love you."

"I love you too." He then turns to look at his sister's boyfriend, his face unreadable. "Edward, I want a word with you."

"Okay, my room?" Edward asks.

"I don't put out on the first date." Emmett replies with a straight face.

"I… Um… Wasn't asking… that… I meant for our chat… Um…" Edward says, his face going bright red, even his ears turn pink.

Emmett and Bella start to laugh which causes Charlie to smile her big toothless smile. "I'm just messing with you, Eddie. Let's go." Emmett says walking towards the door.

"I don't like being called Eddie." Edward tell him.

"Okay, Edwina?"

"Um…"

"Edward, he gives nicknames to everyone, whether you like them or not. It's either Eddie or Edwina." Bella informs her boyfriend. "I have a few, 'Bells', 'Belly', 'Isasmella'. You learn to live with it."

"Eddie's fine." Edward begrudgingly says.

"Great! Let's go Eddie." Emmett jovially says.

"If you're going up to your bedroom, can you take Charlie up to bed. Her nap was interrupted earlier." Bella asks the boys.

"Sure!" Emmett says skipping over to his sister and taking the baby out of her arms. "Uncle Emmy Wemmy will tuck you in nice and tightly."

"Uh-" Carlisle gets interrupted.

"It's cool doc, I know how to put a baby down safely." Emmett calls through the door as him and Edward make their way out of the room and up the stairs into the living room. From there, they walk up the stairs to the first floor of bedroom and down the hall. They stop in the doorway to Charlie's room, seeing that everything's been trashes. Furniture smashes, toys ripped to pieces, clothes torn to shreds.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that her room isn't supposed to look like that." Emmett says.

"No." Edward replies walking to his bedroom and opening the door seeing nothing even touched. "Huh. Let's talk in here and you can get her to sleep in your arms, it will have to do for the time being."

"Okay." Emmett says as they walk into the bedroom next to Charlie's and they both sit on the bed. Emmett starts to rock Charlie to sleep as he turns towards Edward.

"What are your intentions with my sister?" Emmett asks.

Edward laughs and then stops. "Oh, you're serious… Oh, um, well I like her a lot and we've only known each other for a month. I love Charlie like she's my own and I see myself with Bella for the rest of my life. I won't ever hurt her."

"You love her." Emmett says in realisation.

Edward looks down, his ears turning red and a smile growing across his face. "Yeah. I think I do. But she isn't ready to hear it yet so keep it to yourself for now, please Emmett." Edward pleads.

"Okay. You're so much older than her though, I don't want her to get hurt."

"If I ever hurt her, you can hurt me back, but I promise it wouldn't be intentional. I love her. I really really love her." Edward confesses out loud for the first time. "I'm letting her set the pace for this relationship, I'm not telling her until I'm sure she's ready to hear it."

"Okay, I guess I can accept that, but know this, I would kill for her. It might do her good to hear it from you now, I know I haven't seen her in two year and can't even comprehend what she's been through, but I know my sister. Now, I want to know what we're going to do to that scumbag James." Emmett says in a cold hard voice.

"We've already sorted him out, we tortured him, cut his dick off and then killed him. We did that the day after she got here, she ran away from James late one night and I happened to come across her and brought her and Charlie here. She's almost fully healed, physically at least. Mentally, that will take a while. She's in therapy with my mom, she's a registers Therapist, and it's already working wonders." Edward tells him.

"Good. Shame I wasn't there to see it."

"Let's go back downstairs, I think we all need to go to my house because it's not safe here."

Emmett stands up and passes Charlie to Edward and they walk out of the room and down the corridor getting halfway down the stairs when Emmett stops them both. "I'm going to go down to the living room and tell them all to keep it down. I don't want her to wake up."

"Okay, Em." Edward tells him as Emmett runs down the stairs and into the living room.

"Can everyone keep it down please. Charlie's with Edward because her room is trashed and we got her to sleep." Emmett tells them all.

"Okay." Rose says. She stands up and walks over to Emmett with her hand out. "Hi, I'm Rose."

Emmett bring her hand up to his mouth and kisses it. "Hi Petal, I'm Emmett."

Rose looks at Bella in confusion.

"He gives everyone a nickname." Edward says walking in with a sleeping Charlie in his arms.

"It's true." Emmett says. He points at Bella, "That's Belly, Bells, or Isasmella." He points at Edward, "That's Eddie." He points at Carlisle, "And that's Doc."

Rose just laughs pulling her hand back from Emmett and turning to look at Edward. "You let him call you Eddie? I thought only Jake could get away with that."

"It was that or Edwina." Edward says.

Marcus stands up. "I'm Marcus." He holds his hand out. "What's my nickname?"

Emmett shakes his hand, steps back and looks at him. "Hmm… Charles the second."

Bella laughs. "Really?"

"I'm confused, who's Charles the second?" Marcus asks.

"He's my favourite King of England." Emmett replies and then looks at his sister. "It was that or Henry the eighth. My seconds favourite."

"Except Marcus hasn't had six wives, or syphilis." Bella laughs out. "Well, I assume he hasn't."

"No dear." He laughs out.

"I'm Alec." Alec says as he stands up and walking over to Emmett.

Emmett shakes his hand. "Hi Merlin."

"Merlin?" Alec asks.

"He's listing his favourite people from English history and folklore." Bella explains.

"I'm trying to stay true to my roots." Emmett explains with a shrug and a smirk. He walks over to Jake. "And what's your name little man?"

"I'm Jacob." He says shyly.

"Jakey!" Emmett says. "You are my new best friend."

Jake smiles. "Really?"

"Yeah. Who else? Eddie?" Emmett leans in close and stage whispers. "He smells."

Jacob laughs and points at Rose. "That's my mommy." He says proudly.

"Is it?" He looks at Jake closer. "Well now I can see it. You have the same eyes, and nose, and mouth, yet your hair is _all_ Eddie."

"I know. He says I'm a poor kid." Jacob says.

"I actually think it's pretty cool." Emmett tells his new friend.

Edward walks over to his girlfriend and passes her daughter to her. "I think we should all go to my house, it's not safe here yet. I've texted mom and she's going straight there from the hospital."

His family all nod their heads, standing up and walking out of the room, Emmett walks over and takes Charlie from Bella before walking towards the front door. "I'll get her strapped into the car."

"Okay." Bella says in a daze and then looks at Edward. "You have a house?"

"Yeah, we all do. We only stay here when something big is happening, this last month qualifies as something big. Well, we stay at the house closest to whatever's going down. Mom and dad's was the closest to the area I found you." Edward tells his girlfriend, walking over and wrapping his arms around her.

She wraps hers around his and buries her head in his chest. "It just shocked me."

"I must have forgotten to mention it but Charlie has a full nursery set up for her and you have your own room if you want it. I got it all set up the first night you spent here."

Bella looks up at him shocked. "Really?"

"Yes really. I knew you were going to be a big part of my life, even if we don't work out, you'll always have a place in my heart and my home." Edward kisses his girlfriend on the top of her head as she blushes and hides her face in his chest, wrapping her arms tighter around her.

"I love you." She says muffled into his chest.

They both freeze. "What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry, I know it's too soon because we've only known each other a month and been together since last night but I love you. It just slipped out, I didn't mean to say it but it's true. I don't expect you to say it back, don't worry." Bella says hiding her head even more in Edward's chest.

"Bella, look at me Angel? I want to see those beautiful brown eyes." He waits until she does and she sees his smile. "There they are." He whispers in awe. "Isabella Marie Swan, I love you too."

Bella beams up at her boyfriend. "Really?" She whispers in shock.

"Yes really." He chuckles, cut off by Bella's lips on his own. They break apart a few seconds later and he kisses her nose before wrapping his arms around her shoulders and she wraps her arms around his waist. "God I love you." He tells her as they walk towards the front door and out onto the driveway.

They break apart and Bella walks towards Edward's car seeing Charlie strapped in and Emmett sat in the front, she also notes that the others have already left. They both climb in and Edward starts the engine, pulling out on to the road and after a few minutes the highway.

Edward and Emmett share a look between them and then Edward suddenly take a right turn down a back road.

"What the hell!" Bella exclaims.

"Sorry Angel, but I'd hold on. We're being followed."

 _ **Hi. Did you all enjoy it? I know I said that we'd find out the sex of Alice's baby in this chapter but I promise, we will next chapter. It's already written as I post this chapter. Did you listen to the song? Did you like it? Please review and tell me. ~Megan xxx**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Hi. This is a long chapter so I hope you enjoy it. I started back at College on Monday and I am exhausted so I very nearly forgot to post this today but here I am. I get home at 1pm on Wednesday's so that makes posting easier. I am now about to sit down and start on Chapter 24.**_

 _ **This is unbeta'd.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 **Chapter 15-**

"What! By who?" Bella asks frantically.

"By Aro's men presumably. Don't worry Angel, I grew up around these roads, I know them like the back of my hand." Edward tells her speeding up and taking a sharp left turn around a bend in the road. They watch as the cars following behind them all slow to take the turn. "Like I thought, they don't." Edward laughs feeling exhilarated at the car chase.

"If a car comes the other way, we're screwed." Emmett says referencing the fact the road is only wide enough for one car to fit down.

"If we slow down we're screwed as well." Edward tells him.

He speeds up once more and takes more sharp turns and eventually, the cars fall out of sight.

"Are they gone?" Bella asks.

"No, they've just fallen behind." Edward tells her, glancing at her in the rear view mirror. "Shit!" He shouts as he sees another car coming towards them.

The sudden noise once again wakes Charlie up and she starts to scream. "Shh, it's okay baby girl, daddy was just being a bit noisy." She suddenly freezes again. "I… I mean."

"No Angel, I am her daddy. Fuck!" Edward takes a swift right down a turning just before the car coming towards them would have hit. "That must be more of Aro's men, he didn't fucking slow down!"

Edward speeds up even more, his car pushing 100 mph. They see the cars behind them and Edward slows down.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Emmett shouts at Edward.

"Trust me." Is all he says.

The siblings share a look between them as Bella is trying to calm Charlie down. They come to a stop and so do the cars behind them and then suddenly, the car takes off and reaches 90mph in 3 seconds. They see the cars behind them desperately trying to speed up and catch them but they once again lose sight of them and Edward takes a sudden left, then a right and then another left before they end up back on the highway.

Bella starts to sing to Charlie to get her back to sleep,

" _Hush, little baby, don't say a word._

 _Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird_

 _And if that mockingbird won't sing,_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring_

 _And if that diamond ring turns brass,_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass_

 _And if that looking glass gets broke,_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat_

 _And if that billy goat won't pull,_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

 _And if that cart and bull turn over,_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover_

 _And if that dog named Rover won't bark_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart_

 _And if that horse and cart fall down,_

 _You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town_."

Charlie is asleep by the time Bella finishes the song and she looks up seeing Emmett has his eyes closed and a soft smile on his face. Edward glances at her again in the mirror. "That was beautiful Angel."

"It was just a lullaby." She replies blushing.

"You made it more than that Angel, you have a beautiful voice." He tells his girlfriend.

"I've missed that." Emmett says. "I've really missed you Bella."

"I missed you too Emmett. I never thought I'd see you again." Bella starts to cry.

Edward starts to slow down, presses a button on his steering wheel, and then he turns into the driveway of a massive house made of white brick and huge windows.

"Wow. This is your house?" Bella asks Edward awe filling her voice as they come to a stop in front of the house. They see a gate close behind them, shutting the house away from the rest of the world.

"It's a secure compound. These are magnetic fences, the field connects over the top of the house and they're buried in the ground 15 feet down so no one can get in here unless they have a key. Only my family has a key."

"Jesus." Emmett says.

Edward walks over to the back of the car and gets Charlie out as Bella and Emmett climb out also. "Come on, let me show you the inside." Edward tells them both.

They walk up to the front door and walk inside, seeing Alice, Jasper, and Esme already inside and sat on the sofa.

"How's the baby?" Bella asks rushing up to her best friend.

"He's fine. Oh, and we're having a boy!" Alice screeches.

"Oh Ali, that's amazing!" Bella says wrapping her arms around her and hugging her tight.

Edward hands Charlie to Emmett and walks over to his sister. Esme stands up, walks over to Emmett, takes Charlie and walks upstairs to put her in her cot.

"Congratulations, Pip." He says to her as Bella steps back and he wraps his arms around her.

He then kneels down so his face is at her belly just as Rose, Jacob, Alec, Carlisle, and Marcus walk into the room. "Hi baby boy, I'm going to spoil you way more than mommy, daddy, and Aunty Rose."

Rose scoffs and then walks over to Ali as well. "It's a boy?" She asks her sister as Jacob runs up the stairs and into his room at his Uncle's house and Esme walks down stairs and sits on the sofa next to her daughter where she was before.

Alice nods her head and Rose hugs her. She kneels next to her brother and looks at the bump. "Uncle Eddie is lying to you. I'm going to be so much better."

Edward pushes his sister gently and she pushes him back.

"Children, behave." Carlisle says to them.

They all start laughing as they move into the room, Emmett is sat on the sofa opposite Alice, Bella next to him and Edward next to her. Bella leans back onto Edward's chest and he wraps his arms around her. Everyone else moves to sit down around the room, and then the mood turns serious.

"What can you tell us about what happened?" Alec asks Esme, Bella, and Alice.

"Well I showed Bella the entrance room of the safe room and then we went into the hallway and I managed to get the door sealed just as two men ran in and started shooting. I showed Bella a room, the nursery, and the games room before we went into the office and watched the fight. We saw Edward and Jasper in the kitchen and a man come up behind them and mouth off but Rose killed him, then they ran off to different rooms. Carlisle was in the basement and Marcus on the first floor of bedroom but then someone walked into Charlie's room. He wrote a note that said ' _Hello Isabella'_ and then shot the camera and we lost the entire feed." Esme explains.

"He must have known where it was, we placed it in a random room for this reason. I'll compile a list of people that knows and then people that don't. We need to cover all bases." Jasper says.

"No you won't, you will stay with Alice. I'll do it." Alec argues.

"We can do it from here because I'm helping." Alice says in a no nonsense voice. "Jasper," She turns to her fiancée, "You need to get checked out because you've been with me since you ran through those doors so I know you haven't been. Don't try to lie to me Jasper Whitlock."

"Okay, babe. Calm down. I'll get your dad to check me out when we're finished here." He tells his fiancée. "I love you."

"I love you too." She replies.

"Is there anything else?" Alec asks.

"We heard bangs on the wall to the corridor so Alice blocked all of your fingerprints in case one of you was forced to open the door. For example, if a gun was held to Edward or Rose and Carlisle had to open it or they got shot. It was just more protection. I went to look out the peephole in the kitchen and Esme went to get the kids and hole up in the office. I looked out of the peephole and saw the man that was dressed just like you, Em, with Edward and Rose unconscious, tied up and gagged at his feet with Jasper propped up against the wall, tied up and gagged but conscious. I ran back and saw Alice face down on the floor so I went to get Esme and after she checked her out, left to get all of you out." Bella finishes.

Edward sits forward and looks at Emmett. "Emmett, you said that you saw Aro come out of the house?"

"Yes, he was dressed just like me-" Emmett gets cut off.

"It was on purpose! He knew that someone saw him because he looked at me ,and would come for him so he put Emmett in the firing line, probably thinking he would be killed as whoever shot would shoot to kill." Bella says.

"But why? What was his plan?" Marcus asks.

"To make me upset with you all and leave so I'm out on my own and vulnerable. He's already tried to get Charlotte once, if I'm living on the streets with her, I would have no choice but to go with him." Bella says, thinking out loud.

"He's had opportunity though; he knew where you were for the last two years." Edward says pulling his girlfriend back into his arms.

"Yes, but now I'm with you all, under your protection." Bella says.

"And he hates me." Edward growls out. "Someone might have told him how I feel about you, we acted like a couple before we were an actual couple. Alec, compile a list of anyone that may have seen us, take no chances." He grows out the last sentence.

"What's the pecking order here?" Emmett suddenly asks.

"What do you mean?" Rose asks.

"Who's in charge?" He elaborates.

"Marcus overall and officially, but I run everything and everyone answers to me." Edward tells him in confusion, wondering how this is relevant.

"How does that work?" Emmett asks confused.

"I'm too old, Son. Edward runs it all and answers to me, I only step in if needed but that is very rarely. This whole Aro thing is a time where I am needed so that's why I'm here. None of my sons wanted to take over, Alec ran it for two years after I had to step back because of my health, but he gave it to Edward once he turned eighteen." Marcus tells him.

"Okay. That makes sense, so how can I help you all?" He asks.

"Right now, help us with who you saw at the compound you were held –" Alec is cuts off.

"What do you mean Aro tried to take Charlie?" Emmett asks suddenly remembering Bella's comment from earlier.

"James tried to sell her to Aro." Bella tells her brother.

"What!" Emmett roars. "What for?"

"Laurent Kyle, who was the man scheduled for the pick-up Charlie, told us that Aro sells them for sex at whatever age the buyer wants." Rose tells him gravely.

"I'm going to be sick." Emmett gags. "Where's the bathroom?" Emmett stands up and gags again, looking around the room frantically.

Edward jumps up. "Through here." He runs through to the other room, just outside of the living room and opens the bathroom door.

Emmett runs through the open door and throws up.

"Em!" Bella shouts, standing up and running through to the bathroom to rub her little brother's back. She starts to hum the tune to the song their mother used to sing them when they were ill as children. Edward steps away and walks back into the living room.

After a few minutes, Emmett stops throwing up and walks over to the sink to wash his hands and rinse his mouth.

"Are you okay?" Bella asks him.

"Yeah. I miss that tune; I would dream about it when I was ill in the compound. It's nice to hear it again." Emmett looks at his sister with tears in his eyes. She watches as one falls and then then more follow.

"Oh, Em." Bella wraps her arms around her little brother as he cries on her shoulder.

"I've been so scared and alone for the last two years. I thought everyone had died and I was stuck in the compound, someone was always watching me, even when I went to the toilet or slept. I… I just…" Emmett starts to sob.

Bella wraps her arms tighter around her little brother and starts to cry on his shoulder. "I'm going to protect you. I'm never letting that happen again, it's now my job to look after you Emmett and I'm never letting that man get his hands on you. I missed you so much and when I get my hands on him, I'm going to rip him to shreds. I love you _so much_ Emmett Michael Swan."

"I love you too, Belly, I love you too." He wraps his arms tighter around his sister and kisses her on the cheek.

In the other room, Rose, Esme, and Alice are all crying softly and Jasper, Marcus, Carlisle, and Edward have tears in their eyes but they aren't letting them fall. Edward and Jasper lose their battle and a few escape.

Bella and Emmett pull apart and they wash their faces and the girls, Edward, and Jasper wipe their tears away. The two siblings walk into the living room and sit back where they were before. Bella wraps her arms around Edward and buries her face in his chest as he leans down and places a kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you, Angel." He says into her hair, his voice slightly muffled.

Esme gasps and everyone else looks at the couple with smiles and looks of shock on their faces.

"Boy do you work fast." Marcus comments with a smile.

"When you know you know." Edward replies with a shrug.

"We told each other before we left your house." Bella tells Esme.

"That's so cute!" Alice says clapping her hands together.

"How long do you reckon it'll be before Esme needs to buy a new hat?" Carlisle asks his brother.

"Oh, I think it'll be a few months before he proposes yet." Alec replies.

"Who says Edward will be the one to propose. It's two thousand and sixteen, women can propose." Bella says.

"Woo, yeah Bella!" Emmett cheers. "Fight the patriarchy."

Rose and Esme laugh as Bella high fives her brother.

A crying Jacob runs down the stairs then and everyone falls silent.

"Mommy!"

Rose jumps up and runs to her son at the bottom of the stairs and sees a massive cut along the side of his arms that's bleeding all over him and his clothes. "What happened baby?"

"I fell and knocked over a glass that cut me." Jacob tells his mother through his sobs.

"Okay baby. Let's get that all cleaned up." She picks up her son and walks over to her father who had ran to get his medical bag when he first saw the cut.

"Let's check that out little man." Carlisle says as Rose sits down with Jacob on her lap.

"Shall I show you both the house?" Edward asks Bella and Emmett.

"Yeah." Bella says standing up and waiting for the boys to do the same thing.

They walk out of the room and into a hallway that leads to the kitchen with a door next to the oven that leads outside. There's another door that leads to the garage, they walk into the garage and see 15 cars with the space for more.

"Bloody hell." Emmett says.

"I know." Edward says with a smile.

They walk back into the kitchen and out into the garden. "There's a children's park in your back garden." Bella says in shock.

"Jake loves it, and when she's old enough, Charlie will as well. Along with Ali's baby boy and out future children." Edward answers his girlfriend.

"Wow." Bella replies.

They walk further down the garden, around to the other side of the house and they come across a massive swimming pool and a Jacuzzi.

"Double wow." Emmett says.

"I can't wait to get you in there in a bikini, Angel." Edward says wrapping his arms around his girlfriend from behind and kissing her neck.

"Woah! Little brother near." Emmett says with his hands over his ears.

"And I would never wear a bikini." Bella says.

"Why not? You'd look sexy." Edward says kissing up her neck and behind her ear.

He chuckles as she squirms and her head falls back and her shoulders raise in response.

"Let's move on." Emmett says to the couple in front of him.

Edward steps back from Bella and holds her hand, pulling her along to the living room doors and walking inside. They walk upstairs and into the first row of bedrooms.

"I only have two floors of bedrooms." Edward says.

"Only." Bella and Emmett say at the same time.

Edward laughs. "Well, mom and dad have three." He says in his defence. "There are sixteen rooms down here. The one right at the end is Jacob's room, the one next to that is Rose's. Across from Jake's room is mom and dad's room, next to that is a guest room. Then there's Alec's room, another guest room and then Marcus's room. Across the hall from Marcus's room is Alice and Jasper's room and next to that is a nursery for their baby, it's unfinished right now but as soon as they figure out how they want it decorated, I'll get it finished. The rest of the rooms are guest rooms. Emmett, pick whichever guest room you want."

Emmett walks to the room next to Rose's and opens the door. "I'll take this one if that's okay?"

"Of course." Edward says. "I'll get some clothes delivered, tell mom your sizes and there will be some by the end of the day."

"Thank you, do you mind if I have a nap after I do that? I'm exhausted."

"My house is your house." Edward replies.

"Thank you." Emmett says with a smile before closing the door and walking down to the living room to talk to Esme.

"Where's Charlie's room?" Bella asks Edward.

"Upstairs, let's go." He walks with Bella up to the next floor. "There are only six rooms up here. The big one at the end is mine, and yours if you want to share it." Edward pauses and is about to start when he's cut off.

"Of course I want to share it with you, we haven't slept apart for three weeks, I don't want to sleep without you ever again." Bella says to him.

He wraps his arms around her and kisses her, his hands holding her to him as hers go around his body. When they pull apart five minutes later, they're both breathing heavily but have massive smiles on their faces.

Edward brings his hand up to Bella's face and strokes it gently. "I love you, Isabella Marie Swan."

She smiles and leans into his hand, her arms still around his neck. "I love you too, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

He kisses her again and then pulls back, taking her hand again. "Here's Charlie's room, I knew that you'd want her near you." Edward opens the door and Bella looks in to find her daughter asleep in a room that is decorated with dark purples and lilacs.

"Oh Edward. It's beautiful." Bella breathes out looking at her boyfriend in awe. "You did this the night we arrived?"

"Yes, I told you, I knew that you'd both be a big part of my life. I called and got someone to come over and do it."

"Thank you for taking such good care of my baby girl." Bella says looking up at Edward.

He leans down and gives her a quick kiss on the lips. "You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome, Angel."

Bella smiles up at him and then pulls him towards their room. "Show me our room."

He chuckles at her excitement and follows her down the hallway before she stops at the closed door. "Aren't you going to open the door?" He asks.

"It's your room." She answers.

"No, it's _our_ room. You said it yourself a few seconds ago."

"Stop being pedantic and open the door Edward."

"Not even one full day into our relationship and you're already bossing me around." He says looking at her and shaking his head in mock disappointment.

She hits his chest and purses her lips, trying to hide her smile.

Edward drops Bella's hand and holds them above his head in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll open it, but only because you have a gun to my head."

"You arse, I do not have a gun to your head. Ugh!" She laughs and opens the door himself.

"Aw, I was just about to do that." Edward whines as she walks through the door and into the bedroom.

"Shut up and come in here." Bella laughs out.

Edward runs in, and picks Bella up.

"Edward! Put me down!" She shouts. "I'm too heavy."

"Angel, I love you. But shut up." He says walking towards the bed and laying her down before climbing up next to her and propping himself on one elbow looking down at her. "You're not too heavy. You're perfect. If you want to lose weight, then great! If you don't want to lose weight, then great!" He pauses to brush the hair away from her face. "I. Love. You."

"Thank you." Bella says softly.

Rose runs into the room. "Bella, your mom's downstairs."

They both sit up suddenly. "What?"

"Your mom's downstairs."

Bella stands up and runs out of the room.

"She has a gun to her head! Bella! Wait!" Rose shouts, running after her.

Edward runs after her and reaches her just as they get to the living room. He wraps his arms around her waist. "Wait. It's dangerous." He whispers into her ear.

Carlisle walks into the room and over to Bella as Rose carries on past them all and walks out of the front door. "Bella, Emmett's asleep in his room. Please keep it down, we don't want this man to know he's still alive. Your mother is outside but the man won't release her until he sees you." Carlisle tells her.

"Okay." Bella starts to walk forward but is stopped by Edward's arms around her. "Edward, you need to let me go. Walk with me but I need to get my mum back."

He unwraps his arms from around her waist and lets her walk forward, following close behind with his gun raised. Bella walks outside and sees Rose, Esme, Marcus, Alec, and Jasper fanned out around the front gate with their guns trained on their target and she walks closer. Esme and Marcus separate as Bella gets closer and her eyes fall on the man standing in front of them all who is holding a gun to her mother who is on her knees and crying.

"Bella!" Her mother shouts to her, burn scares littering her body. "I love you baby!"

"Shut up, bitch." The man says kicking her.

"Ah!" She screams falling on her front, her screams increasing as she's pulled back up by her hair.

"Get your hands off of her!" Marcus shouts as Bella watches on in horror.

The man ignores him and smirks at Bella. "Hello Isabella." He then pulls the trigger, shooting Bella's mother in the back of the head, and Bella's mother flops to the floor, blood fanning out all around her.

"Mum!" Bella screams falling to her knees and sobbing as the man is shot by all of the Cullen's apart from Alice who is stood in the doorway of Edward's house, her hand over her mouth in shock with tears running down her face.

Edward falls to his feet and wraps his arms around his girlfriend as she screams out her sobs. "Angel, I need to get you inside. They need to move them both."

This makes her sob even harder as she clings onto him so he picks her up and carries her inside and up the stairs to their bedroom before closing the door and placing her on her feet at the foot of their bed. She wraps her arms around his neck and he wraps his around her waist and they stand there like that until she calms down and her tears start to slow. When they completely stop, he sits her down on the chest that he has at the end of his bed. "Let's have a nap." He then walks to the top of the bed and pulls down the covers.

Bella hasn't moved an inch from where Edward sat her and he grabs one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants from his wardrobe before walking over to his girlfriend, placing the clothes on the bed and pulling her to her feet once more. "I'm going to change you, okay?"

She looks straight ahead feeling completely numb and nods her head slightly to his question. Edward lifts her arms up and holds them in one hand as he pulls her top off, dropping it onto the floor next to them. He then unbuttons her trousers, pulling them off, lifting her legs up one by one so she can step out of them, before he reaches around her and undoes her bra, pulling it down her arms and dropping it to the floor with the rest of her clothes. He reaches for the sweatpants that are on the bed, lifts her feet up one by one and pulls the trousers up before reaching for the top, lifting her arms up one by one and pulling the top down. He then takes her hand and pulls her over to the bed, laying her down, climbing in next to her, pulling her to him, pulling the covers over them both and wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you." Bella whispers breaking the silence, wrapping her arms around his body and closing her eyes.

 _ ***Hides behind the sofa* Don't hate me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review. ~Megan xxx**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Hi! How are you all? I hope everyone is having a great day/ will have a great day. Here's the next chapter. I'm posting it early because I feel crappy and I need the love of reviews. Also, I only received two reviews for the last chapter, are people going off this story? If so, what can I do to bring you all back?**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 **Chapter 16-**

Edward lays there and watches as his girlfriend sleeps, every now and then whimpering and calling out for her mother. He feels water drip off of his chin and looks to the ceiling trying to find the leak but sees nothing yet he can still feel the water. He brings his hand up to his face and realises that he's crying. She saw her mother shot dead in front of her, something that none of them even thought would happen when they both showed up at the front gate or they wouldn't have let her go near.

There's a knock on the door. "Come in." He calls quietly so he doesn't wake Bella.

Esme walks in with a crying Charlie held in her arms and Bella starts to stir. "How is she?"

"She saw her mother shot in front of her, how do you think she is?"

"That poor girl."

"Is Emmett awake yet?" Edward asks his mother.

Before Esme can answer, Bella calls out for her mother again.

"Yes, for a few hours. He knows." She pauses. "Charlie needs feeding." Esme tells Edward gravely, remembering why she came in. "There aren't any bottles here."

"Shit! Okay. Bella, Angel. Wake up sweetheart. Bella." Edward gently wakes his girlfriend.

She wakes up with a start and looks around with confusion. They see the exact moment she remembers as her face turns expressionless. Esme steps further into the room with a crying Charlie in her arms. "Bella dear, Charlie's hungry and we have no breast milk here." She tells her.

Bella reaches up for her baby girl. "Can I stay here? I'm not ready for the looks I'll get yet." She asks Edward quietly, rocking her baby girl to calm her down.

"Of course, Angel."

She sits up in bed, pulls her arm out of the top and pulls it down so her breast is exposed for Charlie to latch on to. Edward sits up next to her on the bed, wrapping his arms around her as she leans her back against him and Esme walks out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.

They sit in silence, the only noises coming from a feeding Charlie and their soft breathing. "My mum is dead." Bella suddenly says. "I saw my mum shot dead."

Edward doesn't answer her, he just lets her get it all out, but he wraps his arms tighter around her.

"I thought she was dead… but then she wasn't… and now she is… and I saw it happen. How crazy is that?" She pauses for a few seconds and then changes the subject. "What time is it?"

Edward looks at his watch that is on his left wrist. "Eight fifteen PM."

"Has Emmett eaten?"

"I don't know, mom said he's been awake for a few hours though."

"Can you go and see if he's eaten please?"

Edward leans down and kisses the top of her head. "Okay Angel. I love you."

"I love you too."

Edward then stands up and walks out of the room, down the stairs and into the living room where all eyes turn to him.

"How is she?" Emmett asks standing up from his spot on the sofa next to Rose.

"She's not really reacting." Edward answers, concern filling his voice.

"Is she mothering?" Emmett asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Is she worrying about everyone but herself?" Emmett asks.

"Yes. She wants to know if you've eaten."

"I need to speak to her. She did this when her friend died, worrying about everyone but herself." Emmett says standing up.

"Last room on the end of the hallway, top floor." Edward tells Emmett's retreating figure.

He nods so they know he heard and walks up the three flights of stairs to the top floor, down the end of the corridor and knocks on the door. "Bells, can I come in please?" He calls through.

"Yeah, I'm feeding Charlie. But yeah." She calls back.

Emmett opens the door and walks in, closing it behind him and walking over to the chest at the end of the bed.

"Have you eaten?" She asks him. "I asked Edward to ask you but I don't know if he did or not."

"He did ask me, but no, I haven't." Emmett replies slowly.

"You need to eat. I can make you something if you want."

"Bella-"

"No, don't 'Bella' me. I need to focus on something otherwise I won't cope. I just saw my mother, who I thought had been dead for the last two years, get shot in front of me. I need to focus on something else, I need to focus on you until I'm ready to focus on me." Bella says sternly.

"Okay Bells. Do you want me to make you something?" Emmett asks her.

"Not right now. Can you stay here with me for a while?"

"Of course."

They all watch Emmett walk up the stairs.

"Who was that man?" Edward asks the room when Emmett is out of earshot.

"His name was Eric Kevin Flynn. One of Aro's personal protection detail." Alice says slowly, knowing that if _she_ tells him there's a better chance that he won't flip out due to her pregnancy and recent fall.

"He must have known he wouldn't survive." Edward says sitting on the sofa next to his mother and laying his head on her shoulder.

Esme wraps her arm around her son and places a kiss to the top of his head, no matter how old he is, he will always be her baby.

"He had terminal lung, stomach, and heart cancer. He was going to die anyway." Jasper tells his best friend.

"I opened him up and it had begun to spread to his bowel as well, it wouldn't have shown up on any tests yet though. He had a month left to live, best case scenario." Carlisle says looking at his son.

"She needs to eat, I'm going to cook her favourite." Edward says suddenly standing up.

"I will help, what are we cooking?" Esme asks her son.

"Chicken and pancetta ham covered in a cheese sauce in a pasta bake with loads of mozzarella cheese on top. She told me last week that her mom used to cook it for them both. She hasn't had it in years. I want to make it for her." Edward walks towards the kitchen.

Rose stands up and looks at her sister who nods her and so she helps Alice to her feet. "Babe." Jasper says grabbing hold of Alice's hand to stop her.

"I need to do something Jas. I'm going to make chocolate chip cookies; I'll be sat down the whole time. I promise." Alice tells her fiancée. "I love you."

Jasper sits forward and leans up to kiss her. "I love you too." He replies when they pull apart.

Rose links arms with her little sister and they walk into the kitchen together where they see their brother with his head in the pantry and their mother in the fridge.

"How can I help?" Rose asks.

Edward leans back and looks over to his two sisters in the doorway. "Rose, can you put the pasta on please?"

She nods her head and walks over to the packet of pasta sat on the kitchen table and over to the cupboard with the pans in it. She pulls out a saucepan, walks over to the sink to fill it with water and places it on the hob to bring it to the boil. She sits down next to her sister at the table while they wait.

"How can I help her?" Edward suddenly asks, pulling his head from the pantry and turning to look at his sisters and mother. "I want to be able to do something for her to help but she just saw her mother shot dead in front of her and I'm at a loss as to what to do."

Esme walks over to her son and wraps her arms around him.

"I'm making this about me now and she's the one in pain but I need help with helping her."

"Edward, you're in pain as well. You love her, her pain is your pain." Alice tells her brother.

"Just be there for her. Let her talk to you when she's ready and be whatever she needs. That helped me through the Royce thing." Rose adds.

The water begins to boil and Rose stands up and walks over to it to pour in the pasta.

"I'm going to make them both chocolate chip cookies." Alice suddenly says standing up and walking around the kitchen grabbing the ingredients she needs and a mixing bowl before walking back and sitting at the kitchen table.

They all move about the kitchen, Alice and Rose making a few batches of Chocolate chip cookies and some brownies. Esme makes a chocolate cake, and Edward makes Bella and Emmett their favourite dinner, with enough for the whole family.

An hour later, there is a cake, three batches of cookies, two batches of brownies cooling on the side and three pasta bakes made and placed on the table. "I'm going to go and get Bella and Emmett." Edward tells them all as the others come through from the other room and all sit around the table, drawn in by the smells coming from the kitchen.

Edward walks up the stairs and down the hallway where he hears laughter coming from his bedroom. He stops outside the door and listens to the two siblings tell each other funny stories about their parents.

"Remember that summer before I went to high school when dad put that pool in the back garden?" Emmett asks.

"Yeah. Mum invited the neighbours around for a barbeque but before they got there, dad pushed her into the pool with all of her clothes on and climbed in after her. Then that judgemental old woman from across the street just let herself in and walks around back and told them both that they should be ashamed of themselves." Bella laughs out.

"Then she tried to call the police for indecent exposure." Emmett finishes, struggling to get the words out between laughs.

Edward smiles and knocks on the door.

"Come in." Bella giggles out.

Edward opens the door and sees Charlie asleep in Emmett's arms who is sat cross legged on the bed next to his sister who is lying with her head in her brother's lap.

"Angel, I made you both dinner, your favourite."

"Cheesy chicken and ham pasta bake?" Bella asks in shock.

"Cheesy chicken and hand pasta bake." Edward tells her with a smile. "Alice made you both chocolate chip cookies, Rose made you both brownies, and mom made you both a chocolate cake. Although I'd come quick, Jasper's down there."

"Okay babe. Thank you." Bella says sitting up and climbing off of the bed and walking over to Edward who wraps his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. He kisses her and when they pull apart, takes hold of her hand as Emmett walks over to them and they all walk down the stairs and into the kitchen together.

Emmett walks off, places Charlie in the highchair in between Carlisle and Esme, and sits in the empty seat in between Carlisle and Alec and Edward pulls Bella over to the two free seats. "I need to ask you all a favour." Bella says to the table that had fallen silent as soon as her and Emmett walked in. "I need you to all act as normal as possible and not hover over us. I don't want to be treated differently and I need to work this through myself. Until I'm ready, can I not be asked how I'm feeling or whatever please?"

"Of course dear. No one will pressure you until you're ready to talk." Carlisle tells her, reaching across the table to hold her hand.

"Thank you." Bella says to him with a smile and tears in her eyes. "Emmett needs to eat. Can someone fix him a plate please?"

Esme smiles and reaches across to do just that and then passes Emmett his plate. "There you go dear."

"Thank you." He says with a smile as everyone fixes their plates and begins to eat. Bella watches Emmet takes his first bite and then Bella does the same.

"Mum makes it better, but it's still nice." Bella says turning to look at her boyfriend who has yet to take a bite.

He smiles, kisses his girlfriend on her forehead and begins to eat.

A week later, they're all still staying at Edward's house. Alec walks into the living room where Edward and Bella are sat on the sofa cuddled up together under a blanket watching a movie.

"The house still has major security floors. How did they break the windows?" Alec says to himself sitting on the chair next to the television.

Edward pauses the movie and turns to look at his uncle. "Insider knowledge. The only ones that were hit were bullet proof, not bomb proof. Have we figured out who knew the location of the control camera?"

"Almost. I've called a meeting for tomorrow night, ten at a time. There are 40 people so far." Alec says. He then looks over to the television and sees the screen. "Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. I want to go and check on Charlie anyway." Bella says standing up, grabbing her back in pain and pausing for a few seconds and then walking towards the stairs. "You two can talk business for the next ten minutes but then I want my boyfriend back."

Alec laughs. "Yes ma'am." He mock salutes her.

She walks up the stairs and stops on the first floor of bedrooms before walking down the hallway and stopping in front of Emmett's door. She knocks and wait but hears nothing so she knocks again, nothing. She walks further down the hallway to Jacob's room, knocks on the door and hears her brother and Jacob shout for her to come in. She opens the door and sees them in a competitive game of racing, Jacob appears to be winning.

"I just wanted to check and see how you're doing." She tells her brother.

"I'm fine Bells. I'm just trying to stay busy but _you_ need to confront it sometime." He says knowing what she's referring to, looking away from the television screen allowing Jacob and even bigger advantage. "I'm not pressuring you but I want you to know that I'm here for you when you need it." He rushes out before his sister can get upset, angry, or interrupt him.

Bella smiles at her brother. "Thanks, Emmy. I love you."

"I love you too, Belly Boo."

"Yes! I beat you!" Jacob shouts dropping the controller and jumping to his feet.

Bella laughs as Emmett fakes sadness and then she walks out of the room and closes the door, grabbing her belly in pain this time. She ignores it again, thinking it's just the emotional pain causing actual pain, as happened when her friend died, and walks down the hallway and then up the stairs but stops when she sees Charlie's door open. She walks into the room and stops seeing Alice sat in the rocking chair that is placed in the corner of the room. She's talking to Charlie who is feeding from one of the bottles of Bella's breast milk they keep in the mini fridge of her room.

"Oh sorry, I never even heard her wake." Bella says rushing closer.

"It's fine. She didn't cry, I was watching her thinking about when it's going to be my boy in a crib, and she woke up so I changed her and thought she might be hungry. I warmed it up and she latched on straight away, she has been sucking like a mad thing, you'd think she hadn't been fed in years." Alice says smiling and looking down at the baby in her arms.

"I was coming to see if she was awake." Bella says. "If you're okay here, can you bring her to me when she's finished eating please?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Alice replies softly.

Bella suddenly has a rush of water down her legs and clutches her stomach in pain.

"Bella! What?" Alice rushes out trying to stand up but between her belly and the feeding baby, she fails.

Bella runs over to the baby monitor and lifts it to her face, switching it on as Alice had turned it off when Charlie woke. "Help." She says before crying out in pain again.

Edward and Alec are looking through the list of people attending the meeting tomorrow when they hear Bella asking for help through the monitor and they fall silent. Then they hear her cry out in pain and Edward is off the sofa and up the stairs like a shot, his gun raised and Alec following behind him. They run into Charlie's room and see Alice sat in the rocking chair trying to stand up and go to her best friend and Bella doubled over in pain. The two men look around to see for any danger but find none so they run over to Bella.

"I think her water broke." Alice says in shock.

"Not possible." Bella pants out. "How could I be pregnant?"

Alec runs to the door and shouts down to the floor below. "Carlisle! We need medical help up here!"

Carlisle runs up the stairs with his medical bag, Esme close behind him.

"What's happened?" Carlisle says rushing over to Bella who is still doubled over in pain and leaning against Edward.

"Alice says Bella's waters broke." Edward tells his father.

"What?" Carlisle asks confused.

Alice just points to the wet patch on the bedroom floor. "I don't know what's happening." Bella cries out.

Charlie unlatches from the bottle and Alice brings her over her shoulder to burp her.

"Bella, I need to get you laid on the bed in your room." Carlisle says soothingly, switching into doctor mode.

"Edward." Bella whimpers out.

"I'm here, Angel. I'm never leaving." He reassures his girlfriend. He grabs hold of her hand and wraps his arms more securely around his girlfriend, pulling her out of the door, down the hallway and into the open door of their bedroom.

"Can you lay her down on the bed please, Edward." Carlisle asks his son as he closes the door.

Edward walks Bella over to the bed and lays her down, climbing up behind her and lifting her head to lay it down on his lap. He strokes her hair gently and whispers words of love and encouragement as Esme walks over to Bella and removes her sweatpants, spreading her legs wide, pulling a blanket over her bottom half, and leaning down to examine her.

"Bella dear, I know this is scary and a shock for you, but you _are_ having a baby." Esme tells her softly.

"What? How?" Bella sobs out confused.

Carlisle steps up to Bella and takes the place Esme just vacated between Bella's legs. "My best guess is that you have two uteruses. It's very rare and because you didn't have the correct medical care when you were pregnant with Charlie, it wasn't picked up on. Now Bella, you're crowning, we can talk about this later but right now, I need you to push."

Bella pushes and sobs for the next 20 minutes, Edward letting her squeeze his hand, wiping her brow and speaking more words of love and encouragement, and then baby cries fill the room. "Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby boy." Carlisle tells her as he cuts the umbilical cord, wipes him down, wraps him up and hands him to Bella. "Have a quick cuddle, I need to take him down to get checked out in a minute."

Bella holds him in her arms and kisses his tiny head as Edward strokes his full head of hair and his soft chubby cheeks. "Hi baby boy. I don't know what I'm going to call you yet because I've only just found out you exist but I will have one for you by the end of the day." Bella says quietly to her son.

Esme watches on with a smile and then steps forward. "Bella, can I take him please? I need to get him down to the examination room to make sure he's okay while you have the afterbirth and get checked out."

"Okay." Bella says handing her son over to Esme.

Edward begins stroking her hair again and saying more words of love and reassurance to his girlfriend as she has the afterbirth and Carlisle checks out. "Everything seems to be okay, but you need to take it easy for the next week and I'll be keeping a close eye on you. I'm going to check on your baby boy." He then walks out of the room and closes the door leaving Bella and Edward alone to process what's just happened.

"I'm sorry." Bella says trying to sit up.

Edward stops her. "You need to rest, lay down. What are you sorry for? You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I now have another child that isn't yours, Edward. Last week, you agreed to take on one child, not two. If you want to end this, I understand and will walk away."

"Do you want to end this?" He asks her sadly and unsure.

"No. But we aren't talking about me." Bella replies.

"You don't want to end this, I don't want to end this, so we aren't ending this." Edward says with conviction. "I love you Isabella Marie Swan and that isn't going to change anytime soon."

"But-"

"No Bella, trust me, please. I know it's hard for you to do that after James, but you didn't know you have two uteruses so you couldn't know you were pregnant. I'm not angry and I'm not going to leave you. Nothing has changed except we now have two beautiful babies instead of one. Now let's sleep, you must be exhausted, I know I am after watching that." Edward reassures his girlfriend, smiling when he sees the faint one growing on her lips.

Edward kisses her and then moves Bella's head off of his lap and stands up, gently pulling his girlfriend to her feet and changing her for the second time in a week. Then, he closes the curtains, pulls back the covers and climbs in to the bed, pulling her down next to him and wrapping his arms around her while she pulls the covers over them both.

"Edward, when we wake up… I think I'm ready to talk about it all." Bella whispers into the quiet of the room. He pulls her tighter to him, kisses the side of her head and they both drift off the sleep together.

 ** _Did you enjoy it? Please review. ~Megan xxx_**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Hello all. I hope you're all well and happy. Sorry I'm posting this late but I was swamped with work. There was some confusion after the last chapter about how someone can have two uterus's and not know it. It's very rare but it is possible along with her not realising she was pregnant still, this is due to the lack of medical care that she received. I hope this clears it up for you all, but yes, it is possible. This is a fluffy chapter, I felt like we needed it after the last few chapters.**_

 _ **Enjoy xx**_

 **Chapter 17-**

Esme walks down the stairs and into the living room where the rest of the family is sat. Emmett jumps up, runs to her and looks down at the baby in Esme's arms. "So it's true. Bella's had another baby."

"Yes, Carlisle thinks that Bella has two uteruses but we won't know for sure until he does further tests. He's just making sure there's no bleeding and then he's going to let her rest while I get this little man checked out." Esme explains looking down at the baby in her arms.

"It's a boy." Emmett says with a smile. "Does he have a name yet?"

"No, Bella said she'll have one by the end of the day though." She replies. "I need to get him checked out, I'll be back up soon and then you can meet him properly."

Emmett walks back over to the sofa where he was playing with Jacob on the IPad and Esme walks down the corridor, through the door leading to the basement, down the stairs and into the examination room. "Hi little man. I need to get you weighed to see how big you are." She explains walking over to the scale, removing the towel from around him and placing him on it.

She smiles. "Seven pounds exactly." She picks him up, wraps him in a clean blanket and walks over to the portable crib in the corner for when Alice has her baby. Placing him in it, she rolls it over to the computer and sits on the chair in front of the monitor. "Since you have no name, we shall put you in as baby Swan." She says smiling down at the little boy. "Born October twelfth two thousand and sixteen." She types some more. "Weighs seven pounds."

Carlisle walks through the door as she says the weight of the baby. "Bella's fine. I'm going to give him an examination." He tells his wife.

"Okay." She replies as he picks the baby out of the crib and walks over to the examination table.

After a thorough examination that takes forty-five minutes, Carlisle dresses him. "Alice gave me some clothes for the little guy since Bella and Edward don't have any and she bought enough for her little one to change three times a day and still have some left over." Carlisle laughs and then turns serious, looking at the baby on the table. "She's lucky. Usually when a woman has two uteruses with a baby in each, the child has to be born through C-Section because it causes the other uterus to go into labour as well, especially when one is younger than the other. When that happens, usually either the baby, mother, or both dies. Bella is a very lucky girl."

Esme laughs at the irony of that statement.

"Well, in this respect she is." Carlisle amends as he walks over to his wife. "Did you see the way Edward reacted?" He asks her.

"He really loves that girl." Esme agrees, answering the unspoken words in her husband's sentence.

"She's lovely. He couldn't have picked anyone better." Carlisle adds before leaning down to give his wife a kiss on the top of her head and helping her to her feet. "Come on, he's hungry." The baby starts to fuss and cry as Carlisle lifts him out of the crib.

They walk up the stairs, down the corridor and into the living room where they see that Edward and Bella have joined everyone on the sofas.

Bella goes to stand up but is stopped by Edward. "Angel, we've been over this." He says to his girlfriend, giving her a kiss on the head and moving her so he can slide out from behind her. He walks over to his father, takes the baby from his arms and walks back over to his girlfriend. He passes her the baby and slides back in behind her. Just then, the baby starts to cry which sets off Charlie who is laying on the mat on the floor under the mobile.

Bella's face falls and she starts to cry. "How am I meant to do this?"

Edward slides out from behind her and runs over to Charlie, picking her up and bouncing her to calm her down. "Angel, you're not doing this on your own. You have me and our family at your disposal." Edward tells her as he sits down. "Now I'll hold our baby girl, you feed our baby boy."

"Then I'll be neglecting Charlie." Bella says, still crying.

"No you won't." Carlisle says sitting in front of her on the floor. "Charlie will be finished breastfeeding in three weeks and then she moves on to follow on formula. Until then, this little guy will need it more than her but you can still breastfeed her the same amount, you'll just make more because now you have two. Let Edward hold Charlie while you feed your son because his first feed is important. You can't breastfeed right now though." He pauses as Esme walks back into the room with a heated bottle of breastmilk and holds it out to Bella. "We need to see how much he drinks for his first feed and then you can breastfeed. It's not necessary for all new-borns, but after his unique arrival, I just want to cover all bases."

Bella wipes under her eyes and smiles. "Thank you." She takes the bottle of milk and begins to feed her son who latches on straight away.

Carlisle lays his hand on Bella's knee in a comforting gesture and smiles.

Four months later, everyone is back in their own homes and Bella and Emmett have moved into Edward's home permanently. Edward and Bella are in the living room with the children, Alexander laying on the mat underneath the mobile and Charlie sat on the mat on the floor playing with her toys. She crawls over to Edward, stands up using Edward's shoulders to help pull her up and wraps her arms around him giving him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. She then pulls away squealing, getting back on her hands and knees and crawling quickly over to her mother.

When she reaches her mother, she giggles and falls into her arms before rolling out of them and crawling over to her brother. "Alal." She hits the mobile and watches as he smiles before clapping her hands.

Edward opens his arms. "Charlie, daddy needs some love."

"Da!" She squeals again, crawling over to the table and pulling herself up and bouncing herself up and down without lifting her feet off of the ground.

Bella stands up and walks over to her daughter, taking her hands in hers and helping her walk over to her daddy. When she gets there, he wraps his arms around her as Bella claps her hands. "Yay!" She cheers her daughter.

"Yaya!" Charlie mimics.

Edward then wrinkles his face. "Someone's stinky." He stands up with her in his arms and carries her upstairs.

"I'm going to make Em a snack, he'll be home from school in a minute. Do you want something?" Bella shouts up the stairs.

"Yes please." Edward shouts down to her before walking the rest of the way upstairs. "Mommy's going to make daddy and uncle Emmy a yummy snack. I love your mommy, or as she calls herself, your _mummy_. I love her accent, it's so sexy." He tells his daughter as he changes her nappy.

"Mummy can hear what daddy is saying." Bella's voice comes through the baby monitor that is in Edward's pocket. They bought two because the two babies are in different rooms as Charlie is sleeping though the night, but they link up to one receiver which is currently with Bella.

"I'm home!" Emmett sings as he walks in the front door and Edward walks down the stairs. Emmett walks over to Alex and picks him up. "How's my favourite nephew?" He asks.

"He's due for a nap." Bella says walking out of the hallway and into the living room carrying two plates. She hands one to Edward, kissing him on the lips and Charlie on the head, and one to Emmett before taking Alex from his arms and walking up the stairs.

As Bella reaches the top floor, Esme knocks on the door and let's herself in. "Hello?" She calls through the house.

"In here mom." Edward shouts from the living room.

Esme walks in and sees Emmett and Edward on the sofa eating sandwiches and Charlie sat on the floor putting blocks in tubs. When she sees her nana, she squeals again and throws two blocks in her direction.

"Charlie, no. We don't throw things at people." Edward tells her off.

Esme walks over and picks up the blocks off of the floor and moves to sit next to Charlie. "Hi Charlie. How was your day?"

Charlie hands her nana some blocks and babbles away at her while they place them in a tower formation. Bella walks down the stairs then and smiles. "Hi Esme."

Esme looks up. "Hi Bella, where do you want to go today?"

"Kitchen? We can talk while I'm making dinner." Bella says walking over and picking her daughter up off of the floor.

Esme stands up and starts to put Charlie's toys away.

"Don't worry about that, Mom. I'll do it." Edward says handing Emmett his plate and standing up as Emmett walks into the kitchen and places his and Edward's plates in the sink.

"I'll wash them up, Em. Just leave them there." Bella says walking in and putting Charlie in the high chair.

"Thanks Bells." He says walking over to Charlie and giving her a kiss on the head, then his sister before walking out past Esme and into the living room to Edward.

Bella walks over to the sink, rinses the plates and puts them in the dishwasher and then walks into the pantry. Esme walks around the kitchen, mushing up a banana in a bowl and walking over to Charlie and sitting next to her at the kitchen table. Bella walks out with the ingredients for dinner and starts to make it as Esme feeds Charlie the mushy banana. When she's finished, Bella makes her some juice and places it in front of her, wiping her mouth, as Esme rinses out the bowl and places it in the dishwasher.

"I'm coping a lot better. Edward has been a god send these last five months, I honestly have no idea what I'd do without him. I still have nightmares, of the fire, of James, seeing my mum shot… but they aren't as often now. Knowing that Emmett's safe, and in school, and doing well," She pauses looking into the mirrored surface of the oven, "it helps."

She turns to look at Esme. "This is going to be short, but I really am coping well. It's only been five months since I got away from him, but with Edward, and you, and the rest of the Cullen's… I have bad days, everyone does… I still look in the mirror and see someone that I don't like… I still hear James in my head putting me down… but I have Edward there to tell me that he loves me and he finds me attractive. That sounds so superficial, but…" Bella stops with a shrug.

Esme stands up and walks over to her, standing next to her and mimicking her position. "It's not superficial. It's important to feel attractive. You were put down for so many years, first by the bullies throughout your school life and then by that monster. I know how that feels. I had a judgemental mother who criticised every little piece of my life. My hair, my weight, how I wasn't going to be a good housewife. They were her priorities in life. I was married when I met Carlisle, forced into it by her, he beat me and I wasn't so lucky when it came to my baby. I was six months pregnant when I went into early labour and he wouldn't let me go to a hospital. I gave birth to my son, Richard, on the bathroom floor of our dirty apartment and he died in my arms five minutes after being born. James took him from me, and to this day I still don't know what he did with him. Three days later, I was rushed into hospital after passing out in the grocery store. It was the only place he allowed me to go and I had to be home within two hours of leaving or he would find me, drag me home and beat me to within an inch of my life. I nearly died so many times but I didn't care. I wanted to.

Carlisle was the intern on my case when I was rushed in and he was there when my husband came in. He recognised the signs of abuse but I denied it the entire time and then I was released. A month later I was brought in again, so close to death they gave up, but then Carlisle walked into the trauma room and refused to give up. I'd jumped off the cliff a mile from my home. He made sure I got the best care and while I was there, we fell in love. He helped me get divorced so I didn't need to see Sebastian, that was my husband's name, and he wouldn't allow him anywhere near the hospital. I found out a week after we got married that Marcus, Alec, and Carlisle had killed him after the divorce was finalised. It doesn't help. I still feel worthless sometimes but I have Carlisle to help me through it. I understand." Esme explains.

Bella looks at her in shock. "Esme! I never knew. I'm so sorry." She wraps her arms around the older woman.

Esme wraps hers around Bella. "It's okay dear, I don't really speak about it often. Everyone knows, we told the children when they were young so they were prepared in case anyone tried to use it against us all or if my mother phoned. She still calls twice a year, on the anniversary of when I married that monster and when I divorced him. The former is next week so I may be coming to you for help."

The spaghetti then starts to boil and Charlie starts to fuss so Bella fixes dinner and Esme walks back to the kitchen table to entertain the baby. Half an hour later, the dinner is on the table and Esme runs out to the garden to call the boys in. Alex's cries fill the baby monitor and Bella recognises it as cry number 2, he needs a nappy change. She waits until Esme walks back in because she can't leave Charlie alone in the kitchen.

"I just need to go and sort him out and then I'll be back down." Bella explains walking out of the room. She passes Edward as she walks down the hallway and stops to give him a kiss. "Can you get the second highchair set up please? Alex is awake." She asks her boyfriend when they pull apart.

"Okay Angel." He carries on walking towards the kitchen as Bella walks up the stairs and into Alex's room.

"Hi little man. Wow you stink." She says picking him up and carrying him over to the changing table. She undoes the nappy and gags.

Down in the kitchen, they're all waiting for Bella when they hear her talking to her son and then gag which makes Esme laugh. "I don't miss those days."

Ten minutes later, Bella walks into the kitchen with her son in her arms. "It was everywhere." She shudders.

Edward stands up and walks over to his girlfriend, takes their son and walks back over to the chair he just vacated where he has a heated bottle of breast milk ready. "I'll feed him, you feed her." Edward tells his girlfriend.

"Okay babe." She sits down and sees that someone has served everything up, even making Charlie her bowl. Bella leans over to her daughter and reties her bib around her neck and places the bowl and a spoon on the tray. "Do you want mummy to feed you or do it yourself?" She asks her daughter.

Charlie sits there are smiles.

"You've just pooped haven't you?" She asks her daughter with a sigh. Charlie laughs in response. "Come on then." She says picking up her daughter and carrying her upstairs into her room and changes her nappy before walking back downstairs and putting her back in the highchair. "Everyone finished making me run up and down the stairs? Good."

Charlie reaches for the spoon before Bella can ask her again if she wants to feed herself or have her mum do it and begins eating. Bella turns to her boyfriend. "Are you okay doing that or do you want me to take over?"

"I'm fine, relax, eat, after dinner I'm going to run you a bath, then wash up while mom spends time with the children and Em does his homework." Edward replies.

Bella smiles at him. "Thank you."

He leans over Charlie without disturbing Alex and gives Bella and then Charlie a kiss. Bella starts to eat, stopping to pick up and wipe Charlie's spoon when she throws it on the floor. When Alex finishes his bottle and has been burped, Edward stands up, walks over to the second highchair and places his son in it, strapping him in so he can't fall out. He then walks over to his chair and begins to eat but stops when Charlie throws spaghetti at him.

"Stop it." Bella tells her daughter off. "We don't throw food at people."

Charlie looks down at the tray where her food is all spread out, sticks out her bottom lip and begins to cry. Edward puts down his fork and picks up his daughter. "Charlie, we don't throw food. You can play with it, but you don't throw it." Edward explains.

"Da!" She says seriously.

"I know baby girl." He says hugging her to him and giving her a kiss on the top of the head before placing her back in the highchair. "Remember, no throwing food."

"Da."

Edward starts to eat again. When they've all finished, Bella stands up and collects the plates, walking over to the sink to rinse them off. Edward stands up and gently pulls his girlfriend away from the sink. "I'm doing that. You're relaxing, remember."

"It's just plates, Edward." Bella says fighting against her boyfriend.

"I think I can handle them, come on." Bella fights more so Edward just picks her up and walks out of the kitchen, down the hallway and into the living room, Emmett following behind with Alex and Esme following behind with Charlie.

"Mom, I'll be back down in a minute." Edward calls out as he walks up the stairs.

"Okay dear."

Edward then walks up the rest of the stairs, down the hallway and into their bedroom putting his girlfriend down on the bed. "Don't move. You're relaxing and I'm going to run you a bath."

She sighs and lays back on the bed. Edward laughs and walks into the bathroom that is connected to the bedroom, starting the bath and pouring in bath salts and oils and bubble bath. He then walks back into the bedroom and sees Bella getting undressed, he walks to the cupboard in the corner of the room and grabs the pack of 15 scented tea light candles and the lighter. Walking back into the bathroom, he scatters them around the edge of the bath and around the bathroom and then turns off the taps.

"It's ready, Angel." He calls through and a second later, Bella walks through the doorway in her fluffy dressing gown with duck slippers.

She points at her boyfriend. "Don't hate on my duck slippers."

He tries to hide the smile on his face. "I wouldn't dare."

"Oh, of course you wouldn't. You're a saint." Bella teases.

"Finally she gets it!" He jokes and then grabs his girlfriend around the waist and blows raspberries into her neck causing Bella to laugh and struggle away from him.

When they both calm down, Bella point to the door. "Now get out."

Edward lifts his hand to his chest and gasps. "I'm hurt."

"You will be if you don't let me have my bath. You have dishes to clean, get to it man servant."

"Only for you." He replies with a wink.

"Charm will get you nowhere. Out." Bella laughs.

"I'm going, I'm going." Edward says walking out of the door with his hands above his head.

"Wait!" Bella says pulling him back to her by his shirt. "I want a kiss first."

He smiles and leans down, giving her a big noisy kiss on the lips. "I love you." He kisses her again.

"I love you too." She replies when they pull apart again. Edward then walks out of the bedroom and closes the door knowing that Bella doesn't like to be shut in the bathroom so prefers to leave that door open. She then turns off the bathroom light, walks over to the bath and gets in, laying her head back and smiling. She's finally happy but that will all change soon.

 _ **Did you all enjoy that? I love writing this Edward, he's so sweet! Please review. ~Megan xxx**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Hey! I don't know if you've worked it out yet or if I've told anyone, but I write these AN after I've written this chapter. Even though I'm posting this chapter at the beginning of November, but I wrote this chapter 27/08/16. Sorry if that seems impersonal or whatever but after my laptop broke and I lost those three chapters, I'm taking no risks.**_

 _ **Anyway, back to the chapter, I have no medical training and I haven't had any babies or know anyone who has so I'm sorry if some of the details in this chapter are incorrect.**_

 _ **Also, if any of the baby milestones are wrong, again, I don't have a baby or know anyone who does.**_

 _ **There is another possible trigger warning around Alice and the baby again, and I will make sure everyone knows where it is in the chapter.**_

 _ **I'm sorry that I haven't replied to any reviews, I haven't got an excuse other than being a terrible human being and real life is keeping me busy. I had a review that asked if Edward and Bella have had sex, no they haven't, Edward is just trying to make her feel comfortable with her body so if she gets changed around him or whatever, that is why but they won't have sex for a while because James raped her and he wants her to heal both mentally and physically from that. I hope that clears it up, if anyone else has any other questions, don't be afraid to ask!**_

 _ **I hope everyone (or at least those who are still reading this AN at this point) had a great Halloween and enjoy this chapter!**_

 **Chapter 18-**

Bella rolls over in bed to cuddle up to Edward but finds the bed empty yet warm. Looking at the clock, she sees that it's 5am. She sits up in bed and looks around, seeing the hallway light on through the crack in the door so she gets out of bed, pulls on her dressing gown and duck slippers and walks out of the room. She looks into Charlie's room first and sees her fast asleep, the same with Alex so she walks down to the next floor. Emmett's snores filter out from underneath his closed door so she walks down again without even looking into his bedroom, and into the living room where she sees Edward sat on the sofa on his phone.

"Okay mom, I'll wake them all up and we'll meet you there." He says standing and turning around. He stops when he sees Bella and closes his phone. "Alice has just gone into labour, they're on their way to the hospital."

"Okay, you get Alex, I'll wake Emmett and then get Charlie." Bella says with a smile and then turns to walk up the stairs. When she doesn't hear Edward follow she turns around. "Are you going to make me do it all myself or are you going to help?" Bella teases, knowing her boyfriend is trying to process that his little sister is having a baby.

He smiles and walks over to her, wrapping his arms around her, picking her up and spinning her around, making Bella squeal in laughter. "I'm going to be an uncle again!" He shouts making Emmett wake up and jump out of bed.

"What is it?" Emmett asks running down the stairs in his boxers and his hair all crazy.

"Alice is in labour." Edward says with a massive smile on his face.

"I'll go and get dressed, do you need help with the kids?" Emmett asks turning around and walking back upstairs with Bella and Edward following.

"No, we're fine. Thank you though." Bella replies while continuing up the second flight of stairs to the next floor, Edward close behind.

Bella and Edward walk into their bedroom to quickly change into jeans and a t-shirt, pulling on socks and shoes. Bella walks through to Charlie's room and picks her up gently so she doesn't wake her and Edward does the same to Alex. They both walk down the stairs and into the kitchen where Emmett is waiting with the two car seats and the baby bag, sat at the kitchen table, and they get both of them strapped in, still asleep. They walk through to the garage, Emmett carrying Charlie and Edward carrying Alex while Bella locks the door to the kitchen and then Emmett passes Charlie to her. Edward unlocks the car and Emmett climbs into the middle. Edward clips Alex's car seat in while Bella walks around to the other side and does the same with Charlie and they both get in the front seat.

Edward turns on the car, presses one of the buttons on the roof of the car and the garage door opens, when they get out, he presses it again to close it. Then he presses another button to open the gate, pressing it again when they get onto the road so it closes. They drive down a few roads and then make it onto the highway.

"Did Esme give any details?" Bella asks.

"She said that when she got home Alice was there because her due date was yesterday. She was experiencing some back pain and twinges in her stomach so they wanted to be closer to dad. This morning around four thirty, Alice woke mom up because the pain was getting worse so she checked her out and Alice was already five centimetres so they woke dad and Jasper up and they were on their way to the hospital as mom called me. She'd called Rose before me. That's all I know." Edward explains.

Bella leans her head back and closes her eyes.

"You two sleep, I'll wake you up when we get to the hospital." Edward tells his girlfriend and her brother.

"Great." Bella sighs in exhaustion and falls asleep almost instantly.

"How long until we get there?" Emmett asks having never been to the hospital before.

"An hour. There's one closer to us, only ten minutes away, but they've gone to the best OB- GYN in Seattle and she's stationed in the hospital on the opposite side of the city." Edward explains.

Emmett nods his head and smiles before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

When Edward pulls into a space in the hospital carpark, he turns off the car and turns towards his girlfriend. He leans over and kisses her awake. She opens her eyes slowly and blinks in confusion. "Hi Angel." Edward whispers, stroking her face. He leans down to kiss her and she yawns right in his face.

She brings her hand up to her face to cover her mouth.

"Nice, Angel." Edward jokes.

"Sorry." She apologises.

He kisses her quickly. "It's okay." He then turns to the back of the car. "Em, we're here."

"I'm awake." Emmett says, slurring his words and with his eyes still closed.

"Then open your eyes." Bella teases.

Emmett opens them slowly, just like his sister and then narrows her eyes. "Shush woman."

Bella laughs and then opens the door. She gets out, opens Charlie's door and unclips her car seat, Emmett sliding over and climbing out of Charlie's side, grabbing the baby bag, and closing the door. Edward climbs out of his side, opens the door and gets Alex out, locking the car and they all walk through the front doors. Edward walks up to the front desk.

"Alice Lillian Cullen." He says to the woman behind the front desk.

She holds up one finger. "I know! I told him that he'd never find anyone as good as me but he still walked away!" She prattles into her cell phone.

"Excuse me?" Edward says trying to get her attention.

She holds up her finger again. "I know I cheated in him, but can you blame me? I look good, of course I get more offers."

Edward sighs, hands Alex over to Emmett and leans over, grabbing the woman's phone and ends the call.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She shouts at Edward.

"Alice Lillian Cullen. Where is she?" He asks.

"You don't get to do that!" She still shouts.

"You should be doing your job instead of talking on your cell phone. Now Alice Lillian Cullen, where is she?"

She just crosses her arms over her chest and smirks. "No."

Edward sighs, reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone. He pushes some buttons and lifts it up to his ear. "Hi, it's me. Can you come down here and deal with your staff please?"

After a few seconds, he ends the call and puts it back into his pocket, crossing his arms and smirking right back at her.

Two minutes later, Carlisle walks over to the front desk. "What's happening down here?"

The girl jumps up and points at Edward. "This man is being rude and should be thrown out. He's being verbally abusive." She says to Carlisle.

Carlisle walks closer and looks at the girl. "I wasn't talking to you." He turns to look at Edward "What's happened?"

"I asked her where Alice was and she was talking on her cell phone about how her boyfriend left her because she cheated on him. Then she refused to tell me Alice's location when I hung up her phone for her." Edward explains.

"Alison, I've spoken to you about taking personal calls while on shift and ignoring your work. I'm going to call your superior and get you written up. Consider this your final warning." He tells her, turning back to his son and motioning for them to follow him.

"Wait! You're believing him over me?" Alison shouts standing up and shouting.

"Yes. I know my son. Stop shouting." He says turning back to look at her and then turning back and carrying on walking.

They walk up the stairs and into the maternity wing, over to Rose, Jake, Alec, and Marcus as Esme comes running down the hallway. She stops in front of them all and smiles. "It's time, she's pushing. I'm going back now." She then runs off in the opposite direction, back into Alice's room.

As the door opens, they hear Alice shout, "Mother of god this baby has a big head!" Before the door closes.

Carlisle and Rose laugh as Edward, Bella, and Emmett sit down and Carlisle walks over to the nurse's desk. Charlie then wakes up and looks up at her mother who gets her out of her car seat before she can start to cry.

"I'm going to get her changed and fed." Bella says standing up just as Alex wakes up and immediately starts crying.

Rose stands up and picks Alex up out of his car seat. "I'll help you."

"Thank you." Bella says gratefully.

"They need to put changing tables in the men's bathrooms." Edward grumbles knowing he can't help his girlfriend.

"I'm trying son, I'm trying." Carlisle says waking back over. "Bella, if you don't want to breastfeed and change them here or in the bathroom, you can use my office. I also have some of Charlie's formula and a baby bottle warmer as well as some baby food for situations like this. I'll lead the way."

"Do you want me to come?" Edward asks.

"No, it's okay, you stay with your sister. Rose, you too. Em?" Bella motions for her brother to help her.

He jumps up and takes a crying Alex from Rose and they walk over to the elevators and up to Carlisle's office on the seventh floor. He opens the door and Bella's jaw drops. It's massive, with a mahogany desk sat in front of the large floor to ceiling window that looks out to the back of the hospital, showing the lovely gardens. There is a huge black chair behind the desk that looks well used and comfortable and a black couch against the right side wall. There are cream coloured walls and the floor is light brown wood. There is a plant in the corner of the room that stretches up to the ceiling and two doors on the left side of the wall.

Carlisle walks over to the closest door on the left and opens it. "Here's the bathroom." He closes it and walks over to the second door. He opens that one and walks in, Bella and Emmett following behind him. "Here's the bedroom, the changing table and all of the baby things are in here." He walks over to a door and opens it, revealing a nursery.

"This is your office?" Bella asks in shock.

"I own the hospital." Carlisle says as if it's nothing.

Bella and Emmett's jaws drop. "You _own_ the hospital!" She exclaims.

"Yes. My practice is about twenty miles away though."

"Jesus Christ." Emmett says.

Carlisle smiles. "I own three hospitals in Seattle and three private practices. My favourite is this hospital and the practice run off of it. It's where I work almost all of the time. I have smaller offices in the other hospitals."

Charlie starts to cry then, making a recently calmed Alex start to cry again as well. "I'll leave you to it." Carlisle says with a smile walking out of the room and then out of the office and back down to his family.

 _ **\- (AN. If triggered by labour complications or anything surrounding that, stop reading here)**_

"Is there any news?" He asks when he sees their stressed out expressions.

"They called a group of doctors in to the room. Something's wrong." Rose says with trembling voice.

Carlisle runs off down the hallway and into his daughter's delivery room. Esme sees her husband walk in from her spot in the corner off the room, trying to give the doctors as much room as possible to help her daughter.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asks frantically.

"The baby is in distress and Alice is bleeding more than we would like." One of the doctors tells him.

Suddenly, Alice passes out and a number of alarms fill the room. "We need an OR, _now_!" Is shouted.

"I'll go." Carlisle shouts running out of the room and down the hallway to the nurse's station. "Book an OR immediately!"

"Dad, what's wrong?" Edward says running to his side.

"The baby isn't breathing, Alice is haemorrhaging and she need an emergency C-Section." He rushes out.

"OR Five." One of the nurses tells him and he runs off back down the hallway and into Alice's room.

"OR Five!" He shouts in.

"Right, let's go. You will all have to wait here." They're told as they wheel Alice out of the room and to the elevators up to the OR.

Esme falls into her husband's open arms and start to sob on her shoulder. "She'll be fine. They will help her." He simultaneous reassures his wife, son in law, and himself. "Come on, let's go out to the waiting room."

They all walks out of the room and down into the waiting room. Jasper walks past them all and falls into a seat, burying his head in his hands. Edward stands up and walks over to his best friend and putting his arm around him as Bella and Emmett walk back over to them.

"What's happened?" Bella asks.

"Alice has been rushed into surgery." Marcus tells them both.

Bella gasps and looks at Jasper.

Jasper and Edward are talking quietly between them, ignoring everything else and not noticing Bella and Emmett's arrival.

"She can't die." Jasper whispers out, a broken man.

"No one is dying. They will both make it out." Edward says pulling his best friend to his chest. Jasper grabs hold of him and sobs into his chest.

Bella and Emmett sit down and put Charlie and Alex back in their car seats. Jacob is clinging on to his mother, Esme is clinging on to her husband. They stay like this for the next forty minutes until a doctor walks up to them all. Jasper stands up immediately and runs over to him.

"Alice Cullen?" He almost shouts as Edward comes up behind him and pulls Jasper to him to calm him.

"She's out of surgery and in the recovery wing." The doctor says and Jasper breaths out a massive sigh of relief knowing his fiancée is alive and falls to the floor, pulling Edward down with him.

"The baby?" He asks.

"We managed to get the baby out and breathing again, he's stable in the baby I.C.U. He's a bit smaller than we would like as he's only five pounds eight ounces but he's stable so don't worry."

Esme sighs in relief and hugs Rose as Jasper hugs Edward.

The doctor continues. "When we got the baby out, we were able to see the extent of the damage. The placenta had come away, it was weakened because of the fall four months ago, an unfortunate complication, and that was the cause of the bleeding."

"She has been bleeding for four months?!" Esme interrups.

"No, that was caused by labour. However, the bleeding was extensive and she had to have two pints of blood infused."

Jasper stands up. "What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, but we were not able to save the uterus." The doctor says apologetically.

Jasper falls back again and Edward catches him and pulls him back to his chest.

"Again. I'm sorry. You can go in and see her when she's awake, one of the nurses will let you know." The doctor tells them.

Carlisle steps forward and shakes his hand. "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor smiles sadly, turns around and walks away.

Esme walks over and pulls Jasper to her. "Come on, let's sit down." She pulls him over to the seats and he clings on. "She's fine. He's fine. We need to focus on this."

He looks up, tears in his eyes. "She wanted more. She wanted more children. We had it all planned out."

"You can adopt; you can get a surrogate. There are options. You need to help her through this." Esme explains.

"I just love her so much." Jasper cries.

"I know dear. She loves you too."

"Excuse me? Alice is awake and asking for her fiancée and her mom." A nurse says walking up to them.

Jasper and Esme stand up and wipe under their eyes.

"Follow me." She says with a smile and walking down a hallway.

She stops outside of an open door and gestures for them to walk in. They do and they see Alice laying on a bed with wires coming out of her. Jasper walks up to her and takes hold of her hand, pulling the chair closer and sitting next to the bed. He brushes her hair out of her face and softly kisses her on the lips.

"Hi."

She smiles up at him. "Hi."

Esme walks over to the other side of the bed and sits down.

"Hi mom. Where is he?" She asks.

"He's fine. He's in the baby I.C.U. We haven't been to see him yet. Do you want me to go? I can take pictures of him for you." Esme asks.

"Yes please." Alice smiles.

Esme stands up and smiles, squeezing her daughter's hands and then walking out of the room.

Jasper and Alice watch Esme go and then close the door. Jasper turns back to her. "I'm sorry, but I have some bad news and I think it would be better coming from me." Jasper tells her.

She looks up at him, tears filling her eyes. "I thought you said he was okay."

"He is!" Jasper rushes out.

She sighs in relief and then looks back up at him. "So what is it?" She asks scared.

"The fall you had four months ago weakened the placenta and during labour, it came away. That was the cause of the bleeding that caused you to pass out and our son to stop breathing. They got him out and breathing, he's five pounds and eight ounces by the way, and then they were able to see the damage. They had to infuse two pints of blood but they couldn't stop the bleeding. They couldn't save your uterus, baby, I'm so sorry." Jasper says.

Alice sits there, a blank look on her face and then a tear falls from her eye and she looks down at her stomach, her hands coming to rest on it. She then looks up at Jasper. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about?" He asks her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I can't give you any more children." She cries out on his shoulder.

Jasper pulls away, climbs onto the bed next to her and pulls her over to him. "Babe, you are more than just a uterus. _I love you_. If we decide later on down the line that we want more children, we can adopt or get a surrogate. There are options, but right now, I'm just happy that both you and our son are alive and well." Jasper says giving Alice a kiss on the top of her head and then on the lips.

"I love you." She says cuddling up to him and closing her eyes.

"I love you too." He says laying his head on top of hers and humming to her until she drifts off to sleep.

 _ **There it is, Alice's baby is born. We meet him properly next chapter. Don't hate me for the Alice thing, I felt like we needed more drama but not gun related drama. I think it fits well. Again, I'm not a doctor, haven't got a baby and don't know anybody who does so I may have got some of the details wrong but it's fiction so who really cares. Please review. ~Megan xxx**_


	19. AN

Hi. After much deliberation, I am removing this story from FanFiction and FictionPad. This is due to not having the time to write and when I do, it's rushed and the chapters aren't up the quality that I desire them to be. I also have large gaps between posting. I will be removing this story but editing what I have already written and adding to it until I have finished. Then, I shall re-post with one chapter a week until it is done. I will leave this up for the next two weeks, but on Wednesday 23rd November, I am removing it entirely from both sites. I'm sorry if this causes issues, but know that I am continuing with it, I just want it to be finished and perfect before I re-post. I have no idea when I will re-post, it will probably be next Summer before I do as I am in my last year at Sixth Form and I am very busy.

I would like you all to stick by me and join me here again when I eventually re-post this story.

Thank you.

Megan xxx


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